SAN FERNANDO : Teachers Saluted on Their Special Day

With drum rolls and drill team cheers, students at San Fernando Elementary School applauded the school’s 42 teachers Friday for “teaching us the golden rule.”

As they stood beside their students on the playground, each teacher was called by name to receive a thank-you gift from the school and a corsage from PTA members to mark the annual statewide celebration of Day of the Teacher.

“It’s seldom teachers are recognized for all the hard work we put in our classes. It’s nice to have someone say, ‘You’re doing a good job.’ You don’t hear it often enough as a teacher,” said Teresa Davila-Zander, who teaches first- and second-graders.

Jennifer Dargo, who teaches kindergarten through second grade, said she also appreciated hearing from a parent who personally offered his thanks for teaching his son. “It made my whole year,” she said.

The 11th annual Day of the Teacher, officially observed May 12, was celebrated by schools throughout the state all week. The Assn. of Mexican-American Educators sponsored legislation in 1982 to observe the event, adopted from a tradition celebrated in Latin American countries to honor teachers, said Art Barragan, assistant principal at Porter Middle School.

“It’s important to honor the people who are charged with educating our children. Unfortunately, many times we cannot reward them monetarily,” said Barragan, a vice president for region five of the Assn. of Mexican-American Educators. The region includes 500 teachers and administrators in the Los Angeles Unified School District.