Positive Behavior is Not a Dream...It's a Plan!
Lobos Bid Fond Farewells & Sincere Best Wishes
to our Beloved Principal, Mike Garcia
Kellie La Mantia: I would like to thank you for being an awesome leader, letting teachers and staff do their jobs and treating us like professionals. A HUGE thank you especially for this year and the support you have given my class and I. I do not think I would have made it without your support of staff and students. This has been a rough year but you were always encouraging me and smiling and asking “How’s it going” Thank you. I wish you the best at NHS. Arti Narang: You have been so wonderful!!! We are going to miss you. Thank you for letting us be ourselves as teachers, and always supporting us when we needed it. More than that, thank you for being a wonderful, caring person to all. I wish you lots of success in your future endeavors at Norwalk High. All the best!!!!! Crystal Mo-Wong: I remember when Mike held a staff meeting in which he did an exercise where we got to check in with other staff members and care for them, practicing empathy. I just thought that was so special and I’m thankful that Mike thought it important for us to do as a staff, for each other and for our students. That’s when I knew Mike was a great guy as well as a principal. Nadira Jauregui: Mr. Garcia always made himself approachable. It felt like his door was always open. He never appeared like he was “above” us. Even if he couldn’t do anything to change the situation. you at least felt like your voice was heard. He will be missed for his understanding and his willingness to listen. Ryan Hawkins: Mike, Thank you for all of your hard work and support. I know it’s hard to find time for each teacher, but you make it happen. I am blessed that my career in education started at Los Alisos. You have been such an inspiration to me! I can’t tell you how happy I am for your promotion. I hope to stay in touch with you the rest of my life. God Bless! Kim Tallud: I would like to thank Mr. Garcia for giving me a chance here at Los Alisos. I wish him the best at Norwalk High School and hope the staff there appreciates him as much as we do! Sarah Yarbrough: Mike, just want to say Thank You for all the support you have given the music department! You will be dearly missed. Norwalk High School is so lucky to have you next year! I know you’ll take Norwalk to new heights and do great things! Thank You! Amber Weston: Best wishes to you as you venture back on the field into high school. You will do a wonderful job. I know many students who will be happy to see you go with them to NHS. Wishing you a joyful and peaceful transition. | Sandy Van Lant: I appreciated very much the way Mike has treated staff members, students, and parents. I always felt valued and respected by him. His approach and responses to students no matter what was going on, was honest, caring and sincere. It has been a pleasure to work with him – Great Guy!!! Lisa House: Mike, what can I say other than I am so sad to see you go. You have been one of the best principals I’ve had the opportunity to work with. You have always been nothing but positive, kind and supportive to me, and I appreciate that so much. Los Alisos’s loss is Norwalk High’s gain. Thank you again for all you have done for me and the school! Meli Maytorena: I remember when I first met Mike. We were both trying to fulfill the Spanish part of our CLAD through the UCLA Extension. We both didn’t know a bit of Spanish…LOL…not even a bit…So we were put in the new learners’ class! LOL We became friends and realized were both die-hard Dodger fans!! That’s all it took to make the long hours go by fast! Our love of Dodger baseball! Well, we earned our CLAD and still don’t speak Spanish! LOL I’ll miss you, Mike…See you at Blue Heaven! Paula Mayes: One of my fondest memories is the day I shadowed Mike for an administration assignment. I recall his kindness and willingness to explain the master schedule, supervision, and the never-ending reparations of the athletic field. We moved all day long but the time flew by. He’s an easy person to talk to. These days Mike’s full of, “Remember when you get into this position…” Always the teacher and good model of how to build community at a site. |