Coronado High School’s 65th Anniversary Celebration

More Information:

65 Years of Coronado: A Community That Feels Like Home

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Some schools are buildings, some are campuses, and then there are schools that become part of a family’s story. For 65 years, Coronado High School has been that kind of place.

This September, the Dons will celebrate a remarkable milestone, 65 years of students walking the halls, educators changing lives, families cheering from the sidelines and generations of Scottsdale families growing up together.

To celebrate, they’re inviting current students, alumni, families, educators and community members to celebrate the people and traditions that have made Coronado more than a school for over six decades. 

The celebration will take place September 25^th, and weave right into Homecoming festivities. However, well before kickoff, Coronado students will be taking their spirit to the middle and elementary schools that help make up the Coronado Learning Community: Tonalea Middle School, as well as Yavapai and Hohokam Elementary Schools.

Coronado’s Band, Cheer, and Senior Fall Sports Athletes will board spirit buses and take off on the journey through their community. The first stop on the list? Tonalea Middle School. Next up, the buildings will come alive at our elementary schools, with Coronado's fight song roaring through the halls as cheerleaders and football players visit classrooms, sharing spirit, stickers and an invitation to Homecoming.

For a few hours, the youngest members of the Coronado community will get a glimpse of their future, and the high school students get to return to where their own stories began. It's a tradition that captures what makes the Coronado Learning Community so special, the schools aren't separate, they're connected.

“This community has a way of taking care of its kids,” said Melinda Splitek, Principal of Coronado High School. “You see it everywhere, in the teachers who have known families for generations, the alumni who continue to come back, and the students who cheer on those who will follow in their footsteps. There is a genuine sense of belonging here. We truly are a family, and that is something worth celebrating.”

That spirit of family will carry into the afternoon, when the celebration continues at Coronado High School with a schoolwide Homecoming assembly featuring Band, Cheer and Dance performances, student games and special guests, including professional football players.

Then, as the sun goes down, the community will gather under the Friday night lights. The Homecoming football doubleheader begins at 5 p.m. with girls’ flag football, followed by boys tackle football at 7 p.m. However, this isn't just any Homecoming game, between the cheers and the touchdowns, Coronado will celebrate six and a half decades of memories.

The celebration will be a true trip through Coronado history. Donettes Pom alumni from every decade, from the 1960s to today, will reunite on the field for a special 65th Anniversary performance, bringing generations of Coronado spirit together in one unforgettable moment. The evening will also honor the 1976 State Football Champions on the 50th anniversary of their historic title, celebrate this year’s Homecoming Royalty, and showcase performances from the Coronado Band and Cheer teams — a celebration of the traditions, triumphs and people that have made Coronado home for 65 years.

For the alumni returning that night, the halls, music and lights may bring back memories of being a student decades ago. For today's students, those same traditions are becoming their memories, that’s the beauty of 65 years. 

After 65 years, Coronado isn't just celebrating its past. It's inviting the community to be part of its next chapter, because it’s always a great day to be a Don! 

For more information about the Coronado Learning Community, visit coronado.susd.org.

Media Contacts: 

• Kristine Harrington, (480) 404-2417, kristineharrington@susd.org;  
• Cymphanie Sherman, 602-615-7325, csherman@susd.org

# # #

#ChooseSUSD
With nearly 20,000 students in all schools, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has been a premier choice for pre-kindergarten through grade 12 public education for 130 years. Located northeast of metropolitan Phoenix, the District serves the educational needs of students and families in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Tempe, and Scottsdale. A highly experienced, professionally certified teaching staff fosters a diverse and rigorous educational environment that engages all students in world-class, future-focused learning. Offering gifted learning, special education, career and technical education, and a variety of athletics, arts and enrichment programs and clubs, SUSD provides the rich environment today’s students need to explore their interests, develop important social skills, and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. For more information, visit www.susd.org and follow along on social media: Facebook: @ScottsdaleUSD, Instagram: @ScottsdaleUnifiedSD, LinkedIn and YouTube.