Three Tracy High teachers are calling it a career and retiring this year. After decades of teaching Manuel Costa, Lawrence Mendonca, and Nancy Stamatis are moving on to bigger and better things.

Special Education teacher Manuel Costa has been teaching at Tracy High for 38 years. In his first teaching assignment at Tracy High he taught physical education.

Costa was also a coach, athletic director, head track coach, and head football coach, and President of the Teachers Union.

“It was unusual and scary the first day teaching here. I was nervous because I was teaching under teachers who use to be my teacher, I was nervous not to mess up,” Costa said.

Costa’s memories come from being a coach for 24 years. Tracy High won two section football titles 1982, 1987 when he was coach.

After the game against Ranch Cordova the team was escorted by police officers and sirens were going off. “It was a memorable experience coming home and celebrating the win,” Costa said.

Costa’s three daughters graduated from Tracy High, and he was able to give them their diplomas when they graduated.

Costas plans for retiring are to do what he wants to do. “Finally I won’t have to listen to bells anymore,” Costa said.

Electronics and auto teacher Lawrence Mendonca will also be retiring. His first day teaching at Tracy High was a breath of fresh air.

“Tracy High was so much better than at the previous school where I had taught ,” Mendonca said.

Mendonca previously taught at Delano High school for four years before coming to Tracy High.

Mendonca has many memorable moments at Tracy High.

“All of my days teaching here have all been worth remembering,” Mendonca said. Mendonca has been teaching at Tracy High for 34 years. Retiring, he plans on to continue to play in his band called “Sneeky Pete”, which he and his bandmates play a variety of different genres of music.

Looking back of all his years taught at Tracy High Mendonca has no regrets.

Stamatis has been teaching at Tracy High for 24 years. Before teaching at Tracy High, Stamatis taught in Rhode Island, Tennessee, and in Fremont, California.

Along with Yearbook Design, Stamatis, during her years at Tracy High, taught sophomore English and art.

“My first day of teaching at Tracy High was a little overwhelming,” Stamatis said.

While construction on the F building was going on, Stamatis had to teach in aportable, because there were no classrooms available.

“My most memorable event was when construction was going on, because I had to move out of my classroom that I had always been in and teach in the potables. After it was over, I was happy to be teaching my original classroom,” Stamatis said.

Stamatis’s only regret is that she is retiring. She loves teaching, and loves what she does.

“I will miss the students and being able to create a new yearbook each year,” Stamatis said.

In retirement, Stamatis plans on taking more time on her art work. She also plans on making jewelry and designing purse. Stamatis has written a few books in her spare time, and she plans on getting them published and continue to write more novels.

“Every year creating a new yearbook and seeing how everyone on campus responds to the book has always been a favorite memory,” Stamatis said.

Yearbook was the main activity that Stamatis was involved with each year creating a new book made the payoff super for her.

“I love Tracy, High and I will miss it very dearly,” Stamatis said.