Work Keeps Longtime Aide Young

Like Peter Pan, Angela DiNardo doesn’t want to grow up. The 78-year-old aide has shown up at Nestle Avenue Elementary School nearly every day since 1963, when she brought her 5-year-old son Steven for his first day of kindergarten.

In the 35 years since, she’s scarcely missed a day of dispensing advice and hugs to her young charges at the Tarzana school.

“My odyssey in life has been to help a teacher help a child,” the Encino resident said. “Here at Nestle we laugh and cry together and support each other. I don’t want to get old because I want to keep coming here every day. I love my work.”

The staff, parents and students--some of whom are the children of the first youngsters DiNardo looked after--will show how much they appreciate the cherished school helper when they dedicate the auditorium to her Sunday at a special ceremony.

“Ange embodies the spirit of our school,” said Principal Edward Catlett, who along with Cluster Administrator Debbie Leidner will hand DiNardo the mayor’s and governor’s commendations for community service at the noon dedication. “She arrives here every morning at 7 and works five or six hours beyond what she’s paid for. We couldn’t do what we do without her.”

PROGRAM NOTES

Living Culture: Third-graders at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School got to experience Chumash culture firsthand when Alan Salazar, a member of the tribe that once flourished in the San Fernando Valley, regaled the Northridge students with the stories and legends of his ancestors. The students also created pictographs as part of their early-American study.

EVENTS

Love Me Tender: Glendale Community College will present two one-act plays by Ellen Byron, “Graceland,” about two Elvis fans competing to be the first to enter their idol’s Graceland estate, and “Asleep on the Wind,” about a girl whose beloved brother has volunteered for service in Vietnam. Performances begin Thursday and run through Nov. 22.

KUDOS

Batting 1,000: Charles Cooke and Kristal Nessa were recently named Antelope Valley College’s Wilson Scholar Athlete Award winners, based on their academic, athletic and community-service achievements in the 1997-98 school year. Cooke, 20, now an engineering major at UC San Diego, served as captain of the Marauder baseball team and graduated with a 4.0 average. Nessa, 20, played two seasons for the softball team and is pursuing a biology degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

INAUGURATION

Mary S. Spangler was recently installed as Los Angeles City College’s 12th president. The Encino resident assumed the position following her long tenure as a member of the Los Angeles Community College District. She also served as dean of student services at Valley College and as vice president of academic affairs at City College. The inauguration marked the kickoff of the 70th anniversary celebration of the community college district’s flagship school.

ENDNOTE

Lockhurst Drive Elementary School in Woodland Hills invites parents and the community to attend elections for the school’s bilingual advisory committee and school site council Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. in the school library at 6170 Lockhurst Drive.

Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail them to diane.wedner@latimes.com.