Cowboy Boot Friday kicked off among the San Benito High School staff this year. It was thought up by Superintendent John Perales, who said he came up with this idea because he likes cowboy boots and he “thought it would be fun to encourage everybody to do something together to build unity and team with our staff.”

Principal Todd Dearden said the administrative team, including vice principals, wanted to continue what they learned at a leadership experiment that took place right after he was hired and Cowboy Boot Friday seems to fit the bill. They had gone to Bright Ranch in San Martin, where everyone had done a horsemanship seminar to learn about horses, how to ride them, and understand how horses react.

“It was a fun time,” said Perales. The purpose of the experiment was to bring together the team because many were all so new to the school. This included the new principal, the new superintendent, and the new cabinet members.

Cowboy Boot Friday is open to both students and staff.

“It is a lot of fun, it shows unity and I think it really reflects are community well,” said Curriculum Director Cindi Krokower.

Dearden said he hopes it catches on. “It’s fun when we all do things together just to celebrate our culture, our community, and just to be unified, to be fun,” he said.

In the end, organizers say Cowboy Boot Friday is about showing personality, style, culture, and unity in the community.