All in the family
There have been two mascots for the school. The original mascot was the Wildcat. But this changed when the second principal, Robert “Bob” Gullborg, retired in 1997. Then the school mascot changed to the Bobcats, thanks to the Parent-Teacher Association.

2. Few at the helm
There have been only four principals in 40 years. The first was Vernon Langley who served from the school’s opening in 1969 to 1981. The came Gullborg, who stayed with the school until 1997. Next up was Steve Latman, who served as principal for eight years. The current principal, Lucille Carney, took over in 2005.

3. Burnin’ down the house
In the summer of 1970, the Learning Resource Center was set on fire by someone who broke into the school. Luckily, it never had to be rebuilt — the fire died out and the library just needed a clean up. Bookcases were singed or burned, but not replaced. Parents and teachers went to the school to clean up before school commenced. Some of the bookcases were just thrown out a few years ago.

4. Awaiting an open
There is a time capsule buried at El Sierra as part of the 25th anniversary of the school during the 1993-94 school year. It was placed beneath a square stone, which looks different from the rest of the building, under the date “1993.” It is supposed to be opened on the school’s 50th anniversary in 2019.

5. No es correcto
El Sierra is actually incorrect in Spanish. It sho,..,.,uld be “La Sierra,” which means “the mountains” in Spanish. The original builder named the subdivision El Sierra because there was another subdivision called El Sierra Blanca, which means “the white mountains.” Although the original builder went bankrupt — another builder finished up the job — the name stuck.