Principal's Message
Hello Tiger community and welcome to the start of another school year full of promise!
I hope everyone has had the opportunity to enjoy some well-earned rest and relaxation over the summer. Taking time with family and friends to travel and recharge during summer break is such a key part of our social and emotional well-being as well as maturity and growth that all of us look forward to it eagerly knowing the benefits that it brings. I had the good fortune to laze on the beaches in the Dominican Republic for ten days with my family, with little to no distractions; the benefits of being able to do that are so important to me and the rest of our staff to be able to be rested and ready for the return of students; if we are sporting a pretty good tan, all the better!
Back here on campus, a lot is happening even though summer school has ended and campus is quiet… except for one very noticeable change that you will all see when school opens if you have not driven by already: our new solar project that we are so excited for is moving right along in the main parking lot as well as on the roof of the classroom building that fronts Fremont. Elsewhere on campus, our esteemed Plant Foreman Mr. Ray Alarcon (Mr. Ray to the kids) and his extremely capable team have been deep cleaning and beautifying the campus to make sure that we are ready to receive students and staff on day one. I know our teaching staff will be pleased with how clean the campus and their rooms will be and I know our students will appreciate it as well. In addition, our office team has been working diligently as well in anticipation of another great school year.
We saw much change in our staff at the end of the school year, with a number of retirements as well as some teachers leaving to pursue other opportunities or personal obligations elsewhere. To begin with, we have expanded our English department, adding Mrs. Marissa Locke and Mr. Dennis Takeshita to the staff. In the wake of the retirement of Mr. Howard Crawford, we have brought aboard three music teachers to better serve the music program beginning with Mr. Tim Orindgreff, who will be our lead music teacher at the high school as well as continuing his duties at the middle school. Accompanying him will be Mr. Walter Simonsen who will take over the marching band program and Mr. Jorge Padron, who will be our orchestra instructor. Another retirement of a beloved longtime teacher, Mrs. Cathy Mason, who led our much-lauded Virtual Enterprise Program will be filled by Mrs. Janna Connor, who comes to us with a deep wealth of knowledge and experience in the business world. Rounding out our new staff is Miss Seah Kim in the science department, and Mr. Nathan Uribe and Mrs. Diane Martha will join the Special Education department.
Lastly, whether you are a new or a returning parent, I would urge all of you to get involved on your campus. The SPHS Booster Club, Bingo, Music Boosters, and PTSA are all organizations that are critical to supporting the student experience at SPHS as well as an excellent way for you to be able to stay abreast of what happens here on campus. Please join me in becoming a member of these vital organizations to help provide students and staff with an unparalleled level of support that can only be found here at South Pasadena High School. I look forward to seeing all of you at the many events that take place throughout our school year starting with our PTSA coffee in front of school on Wednesday, August 14. Thank you and once again welcome back!
