THOUSAND OAKS : At 79, Teacher Aide Is the Life of the Fiesta

For two decades, Lola Lopez has worked in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks as a teacher’s aide with children for whom English is a second or even a third language. And even as she approaches her 80th birthday next week, she has no thoughts of retiring.

On Friday, as students celebrated Cinco de Mayo with traditional Mexican dance, music and food, Lopez was honored with a surprise birthday tribute as well.

Students, teachers and administrators at Park Oaks Elementary School in Thousand Oaks stood and chanted in unison, “Feliz Cumplean~os, Sen~ora Lopez!”

Lopez was teary as she took the stage. Friends suggest from time to time that she should quit working and start enjoying life, she said.

“But my answer is always the same. This is my joy,” she said, gesturing to the children sitting on the floor before her. “It is in encouraging children to be somebody great when they grow up.”

With that, 90 first-graders, many of the girls with paper flowers in their hair and some boys with wide-brimmed paper hats, stood and formed concentric circles as the music to the Mexican dance La Raspa began.

Teachers, mothers and small children clapped along as the students performed the dance they had practiced every school day for two months. Along the sidelines, some toddlers snagged an occasional tortilla chip from the lavish spread of Mexican dishes parents had prepared for the celebration.

“This is a wonderful way to help other kids understand our culture,” said Maria Rubalcava, a parent of an 11-year-old son. “Sometimes when other kids don’t understand, they make fun of us. I just came to drop off the flan and enchiladas, but I had to stay and watch.”

Another parent stood nearby, watching her daughter dance.

“It’s all very beautiful,” said Cecelia Paz, as she held her 18-month-old daughter. “This one clapped her little hands to the music.”

Cinco de Mayo, commemorating the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, is a celebration of Mexican heritage. The school tied the celebration to Lopez’s birthday because of her dedication to helping all children--and those of Latino heritage in particular, administrators said.

“She holds very high expectations for our Latino children,” said Claudia Spelman, director of the English as a second language program in the Conejo Valley Unified School District. “She is a special lady with the most astonishing energy.”