News

Speech and Debate

By Jasmin Becerra - Jan. 20, 2026

Winning trophies, traveling across the US and building confidence, Edgewood’s Speech and Debate program is more than just a club.The Speech and Debate class and club at Edgewood has won many achievements: It won back to back "school of excellence" awards and is gunning to win a third. Edgewood has placed first in Districts, Regionals, State and National levels. From traveling across California to sharpening real world communication skills, Edgewood's Speech and Debate team continues to make its mark.

Behind these achievements are hours of dedication, as students stay afterschool to practice speeches and support their peers.The speech and debate team's teacher/advisor is Ms. Crawford. The coaches are Coach Gillian, Coach Miguel, Coach Vanessa, Mr. Tinajero and Ms. Benevides. Speech and Debate has 50 kids in total for middle school and high school at Edgewood.

Speech and Debate has helped students with more than their college application. Cetelalii Valenzuela-Gonzales (7th grade) said, "Speech helped me communicate a lot better, and I got to travel with my friends. I really enjoyed going out of California for tournaments. It helps me argue better when I'm debating about something." And Mirabella Gonzalez (7th grade) stated, "Being in Speech has shaped who I am today, giving me new experiences and things I would have never tried. I have become better at public speaking and not getting so nervous when speaking in front of a large crowd, which helped me because I used to get very nervous doing it. I also love meeting new people and learning about their speeches.” The Speech and Debate program has helped students be a better version of themself, meet new people, and they also learn how to be better prepared for real-life situations.

With dedicated coaches, passionate students and the history of excellence, Edgewood's Speech and Debate team shows no sign of slowing down as they continue to inspire future competitors. Overall Edgewood’s Speech program is not just about trophies and awards, but about building confidence and thoughtful students who are prepared to speak up in the real world.

Day in the Life of a Middle School Teacher

By Elena Lopez - Feb. 5, 2026

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! the horrible demon on his night stand shouted on a Monday morning at exactly 6:00 AM. This alarm wasn't just a sound, it was a migraine in physical form. David O'Leary, a 30-year-old dual-immersion history teacher at Edgewood Middle School, pressed s

nooze twice. Then he forced himself out of bed, knowing dozens of students would soon depend on his energy and patience.

By 7:55 AM he stood at the entrance of the school, took a final breath of relaxation, and stepped inside. He crossed the threshold into his classroom, the last few moments of calm. In his classroom, he carefully prepared lessons in English and Spanish, writing objectives on the board and arranging papers. Within minutes, 1st period would start, and empty chairs would become a room full of voices, questions, and movement.

At 9:18 AM Mr. O'Leary braced for the impact of the 2nd period morning bell. The bell rang sharply through the hallway at 9:19, as a storm of students filed into a line outside his classroom. As he welcomed them into the room with a warm smile, the 7th grade students rushed into the classroom like a stampede of elephants. Mr. O'Leary guided them through today's history lesson. During the class he observed the class with a steady gaze, making sure that no student fell short of achieving their full potential. He explained key ideas, asked thoughtful questions, and walked between desks to help students who struggled. Some students translated vocabulary between languages. Others raised their hands to share answers. Inside the classroom, learning was not silent. It was active, messy, and alive.

RINGGGG! said the bell once again at 10:13 AM as the class bolted from their chairs with excitement now that 2nd period was over. As they all ran out the door to Nutrition, Mr. O'Leary briefly met with his friends Mr. Medley and Mr. Palacios, both also history teachers. They exchanged quick thoughts about lessons and students. Everyone sighed in disappointment when Nutrition was over, and they went back to class for another three hours of teaching and learning.

As the afternoon continued, each class brought a different challenge. Some students were focused. Others were restless. Still, Mr. O’Leary stayed steady - offering help, redirecting behavior, and celebrating small successes. Even through exhaustion, his purpose remained clear: to help students learn and believe in themselves.

It was period 4 now, and there was a hush of silence holding him. He let out a resounding sigh as he flopped back into his chair for his break period. Mr. O’Leary's relief was bittersweet - Class was finally over, but he had to stop doing that thing he loved most, teaching his students. (Well, other than his loves for baking and powerlifting.)

Soon enough the period ended and he went back to teaching. At 1:09 PM, the lunch bell released a wave of noise across campus. Excited to go to lunch, Mr. O’Leary walked over to his fellow colleagues as they discussed plans of adventure. He sat down to enjoy his meal of the day: an old brick of spaghetti glued together by orange grease. It’s trapped in a Ziploc container from last night's dinner. He takes a bite and-- RINGGGG! yelled the bell at 1:41 PM.

With his fork halfway to his mouth. He crossed the threshold into his classroom once again. The final classes (periods 6 and 7) repeated the rhythm of teaching: explaining, guiding, and encouraging. Until the last minutes of the day slowly disappeared.

Then, at last, the final bell rang at 3:29 PM. Silence settled into the classroom where energy had lived all day. O’Leary packed his bag, stepped outside, and breathed in the cool afternoon air. Monday was finally over.

At home, he greeted his wife and dog before cooking dinner. The smell of teriyaki salmon with vegetables and rice was phenomenal and could be smelt from a mile away. The salmon was crispy outside with a gentle softness as it touched his mouth. The vegetables had transformed from raw and crunching to tender-crisp as a variety of tastes all came in at once. Then the white rice arrived to top it all off with a slight sweet and savory taste, replacing the stress of the day with quiet comfort.

Later, he worked on assignments for his master’s program, continuing his own learning long after his students had gone home.

Near the end of the night, O’Leary lay down, exhausted but proud. Another Monday had passed, one more day spent teaching, guiding, and shaping the future, one student at a time.

EMS Boys Basketball

By: Liam Maldonado - Dec 10, 2025

The Edgewood Middle School boys basketball team has just kicked off their season! First, they brawled with the San Jose Charter School Sharks at home on Tuesday, November 4. Unfortunately, our Wildcats ended up losing to the Sharks by 16 points in the end, but they certainly did not go down without a fight. On the downside, players Jeremiah Brame and Liam Maldonado checked out early with some nasty injuries. However, on the bright side, there were some awesome performances by the likes of Liam Maldonado, Adrian Garcia, Giovanni Rodriguez and Desmond Hayes II! Thanks to these stars and other key plays, the basketball team’s near comeback was a demonstration of their capacity to win games this season.

The roster for this year’s Edgewood boys middle school team has size, solid rebounding and, overall, a variety of valuable assets. For instance, their primary ball handler, Adrian Garcia, has elite dribbling, speed and scoring capabilities. Additionally, Desmond Hayes II is the best defensive player on this team, averaging about seven steals in the team’s last two games and causing about nine turnovers from his opponents. Moreover, Giovanni Roriguez is able to shoot the lights out of any opponent once he catches fire, with a consistent three point and midrange jumpshot. Equally important, Liam Maldonado, the team’s center, is an extremely tall and versatile player. Maldonado is a prominent threat in pick & roll situations and open driving lanes, with a combination of unmatched interior defense and solid midrange and three point shooting. Last, but not least, Mr. Price, this year’s middle school boys basketball coach, has contributed to the team’s success by formulating effective strategies, lineups, and exposing his players to extensive conditioning.

In conclusion, following the boys’ loss to Walnut Grove at home, Coach Price noted, “We are an excellent one-half team.” The coach also stated, “I believe we have the best guards in our league. I mean, Adrian is practically a magician with a basketball.” Finally, after their second loss to the Sharks at San Jose Charter Academy, Coach Price emphasized, “This team is a work in progress. We could and should be able to win as long as we get our shots to fall and actually play defense. You guys really have to work on staying in front of people.” This lights a candle of hope for our 2025 Edgewood Boys Basketball team. But will they pull off at least one win before the season ends and that candle burns out?

2025 World Series (continued)

By Audree Zendejas - Dec 10, 2025

Now that you know what the World Series is, let's dive into the 2025 World Series! The teams that went into the 2025 World Series were the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Game 1 was played on Friday October 24, 2025 with the Blue Jays taking the first win of the series with an amazing lead in score of 11-4. The Toronto Blue Jays scored nine runs in the sixth inning! Game 2 was played the following day on Saturday October 25, 2025 with the Dodgers taking the win with a score of 5-1. The Dodgers winning this game tied the total score for the 2025 World Series 1-1. On October 26, 2025 both teams took a rest and got ready to play the next day.

Game 3 was played on Monday October 27, 2025 with the Dodgers taking another win with a score of 6-5. This was the longest game in World Series history at almost 7 hours in 18 total innings. Game 4 was played the following day on Tuesday October 28, 2025 with the Blue Jays taking the win with a score of 6-2. With the Blue Jays winning this game, the total score for the 2025 World Series as of game four was tied 2-2.

Game 5 was played on Wednesday October 29, 2025 with the Blue Jays taking another win with a score of 6-1. Now, the total score for the World Series was 3-2 which meant that if the Blue Jays won the next game, they would win it all. On October 30, 2025 both teams took one last rest before each team would find out whether tomorrow is their last game.

Game 6 was played on Thursday October 31, 2025. Luckily for the Dodgers but unfortunately for the Blue Jays, the Dodgers took the win with a score of 3-1. This didn't mean that it was over though, it just meant that they were going to game 7.

Game 7 of the World Series was played on Saturday November 1, 2025. This was the game that decided who was the 2025 World Series Championship holder. The Blue Jays kept the lead from the third inning where it started as 3-0. But into the 9th inning, the Dodgers' Miguel Rojas tied the score at 4-4. In the 11th inning, Will Smith scored the home run that finalized the Dodgers winning the World Series.

According to mlb.com, game #7 "deserves to be put on there with the all time bests." Both teams put up an amazing fight and played as if they wanted to win, and the Blue Jays definitely made it hard for the Dodgers. The Dodgers took the World Series title for 2025 with Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the MVP!

EMS GIRLS Basketball

By: Justice Birdsong - Dec 10, 2025

Hey, Edgewood! It’s that time of year again—girls' basketball season has officially kicked off! With Ms. Jackson and Ms. Shaynai as our awesome coaches, tryouts have been buzzing with excitement. Starting at the end of October, our girls' basketball program is all set to go. We’ll be competing against Hollencrest Middle School, San Jose Charter Academy, and Walnut Grove Intermediate School. The first three games will be at our school, and then we’ll travel to theirs. This week, we’re heading to SJCA for our first away game! Right now, our team is doing pretty well with a record of 2-1. We won against San Jose and Walnut. The score for the Walnut game was 35-15, and for San Jose it was 42-10. Thanks to Justice and Alana, our top scorers, and the rest of the team for defense. But unfortunately, we came up short against Hollentcres, losing 28-25.

To get a feel for how the team is shaping up this year, I talked to five girls who were on the team last season about their thoughts. Here’s what they had to say:

Alana Ramirez PF (7th Grade): “I feel like the team this year isn’t as strong as last year since we lost a lot of the 8th graders. But our team has its own vibe!”
Giselle Matsuhiro SG (7th Grade): “I actually like this team better than last year. We didn’t connect as well then, but this year a lot of us really bonded!”-
Juliet Pena PF (7th Grade): “I liked both teams last year! I played alongside my sister Jayla, who was in 8th grade. I think both teams were great, and we all had a really good bond.”
Katana Mayo SG (7th Grade): “Last year, I didn’t really know how to play, but I was good at defense. The coaches saw my potential, which made me want to keep playing. This year, I’m way more confident as a 7th grader!”
Justice Birdsong C, PG (8th Grade): “I think both teams, last year and this year, are special in their own ways. Even though we lost a lot of 8th graders, we have new players who make the team just as cool!”

It’s clear that even with some big changes, the girls’ basketball team is still all about teamwork and having fun. As we get deeper into the season, I can’t wait to see how the team bonds and grows stronger together. Let’s show our support in the upcoming games!

Coach Jackson said "The star players on Edgewood would be Alana Ramirez and Justice birdsong being the vets of the team and top scorers. But even though we have top scorers, we also have a lot of our girls whose defense is really great like Leyla Ruacho, Natalia Kirkham and Angelie Zacarias. And for someone these girls it's their first year playing basketball, and the way they improved from when we first saw them is incredible" Go Edgewood! Here are some pictures from the games!

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