Praising LCUSD’s unsung heroes
Teachers and parents gathered on the stage of La Cañada High School’s auditorium Tuesday night to be recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty at the La Cañada Council of PTA’s Founders Day Award ceremony.
An annual event, Founders Day honors specific teachers and parents in the La Cañada Unified School District for contributing to the district’s success. This year’s recipients earned their way into the spotlight for a variety of different reasons.
Teachers were honored for promoting excellence within their programs, and parents were singled out for their generosity in donating their time, skills and efforts to their respective PTAs.
One of the recipients was Sam Picture, who’s only been teaching at LCHS 7/8 for six months. Despite his short tenure, Picture has made such an impact on students and parents that he received more Founders Day nominations than anyone else in the La Cañada High 7/8’s PTA.
“He has a passion for pushing his students to be all that they can be,” said Caren Colburn, LCHS 7/8 PTA president. “Mr. Picture, I hope you’re here for many more years to come.”
The night also provided an opportunity to praise some of the district’s unsung heroes, said Lisa Dick, Paradise Canyon Elementary’s PTA President.
“There are countless times when you touch the lives of our kids and it goes unnoticed,” Dick said.
The head of the district, Supt. Jim Stratton, was among those awarded for their service to La Cañada Unified. Stratton received the Golden Oak Service Award — the PTA’s highest honor — for his 20 years of work in the district.
“He has a long legacy of many accomplishments,” said Susan Dodge, president of the La Cañada Council of PTA, after those in attendance gave Stratton a standing ovation. “Our school district has been second in the state for many years now and most of it is from your hard work, along with everybody else. I say kudos to Jim. You have been key to our success.”
Dodge then recognized volunteers’ collective contribution to the district, which has allowed La Cañada schools to thrive year-in and year-out.
“Their passion and commitment have made this all possible — that we can be in the spot that we are tonight in this district,” Dodge said. “We are so thrilled with the amount of volunteers we have in the district.”