In challenging the staff and students of Garfield School to continue to strive to improve, Dr. George Jaeger, who was the principal of Garfield last year, borrowed the Buzz-words from the Pixar film Toy Story, but gave them a far more modest reach – “TO 800 AND BEYOND.”
Along with the expected speeches and important guests, the Alhambra High School marching band was on hand to help trumpet the school’s successes.
Current Garfield School Principal Charlie Peterson was quick to credit Jaeger, “as well as the diligence of the staff and faculty and especially the hard work of the kids.”
Since beginning its climb to 800 in 2001, Garfield has had three principals, yet despite the changes at the top, Garfield has been able to maintain it momentum. Naturally, the staff and faculty had much to do with this run of success, but the secret to the consistency over the years seems to have much to do with Instructional Specialist Helen Padilla, whose name kept cropping up when asking about the reason for Garfield’s success. A Garfield teacher expressed what many were thinking, “Helen’s passion for the students and for excellence in instruction is infectious.”
Garfield students from Mary Miller’s kindergarten class (above) were a small, but integral part of the morning festivities – they will be expected to carry the school’s banner for celebrations to come.
Former Garfield Principal Dr. George Jaeger (above left), currently the principal at Granada School, praises the hard work of the staff and students while the current Principal Charlie Peterson looks on.
Members of Alhambra High School Band (above) helped Garfield celebrate.
