Jacob Preal
Valley News Intern
All the little details go into putting the “great” in Great Oak High school. Local teacher Erin Andrade was recognized by the California Association of Renaissance Education for her contributions to the campus by being inducted into their Hall of Fame. CARE is devoted to raising a positive climate and culture of a school by pushing academic success and taking good care of teachers. CARE board members look for innovative ingenuity when selecting a potential Hall of Famer.
“I’ve only been with Renaissance for eight years,” explained Andrade. “It’s really cool to be recognized after such a short amount of time.”
The honor is reserved only for a select few that go above and beyond CARE’s expectations. Always an innovator, Andrade has taught for 23 years, beginning her journey as an elementary school teacher. She has left a lasting legacy on every campus that she has had the pleasure to teach at, including Pauba Valley Elementary School, where she coined their famous “It’s Your Birthday” song.
“I hated the birthday song,” she stated. “And so they just told me to come up with something more catchy for the students and the ‘It’s your birthday – hey!’ just stuck.”
Andrade eventually brought her knack for creative insight to Great Oak High School, where she has now taught for nine years. Starting out as a math teacher, she quickly seized the opportunity to become the school’s Renaissance adviser when the former teacher had quit. She did not know exactly what she had signed up for, but there was a lot of ground to cover since she had to start from scratch. As the years went on, she continued to conjure up more fascinating ideas to excite children and help focus their learning.
She has developed all kinds of methods for motivating students, including a 100 percent Club that celebrates students getting perfect test scores and a three-minute Friday status that allows students with a high GPA to leave for lunch early. Being a top performing student in high school has never been more alluring.
It was this type of forward thinking that CARE recognized by inducting Andrade.
CARE is only a regional sect of the national Jostens Renaissance Education. This organization, spearheaded by the very same company that supplies graduates with their fancy caps and gowns, has been around for 25 years and consistently strives to see graduation rates go up all across the nation. It is typical for most schools to be supported by a similar program. Jostens just happens to be Great Oak’s supporter, in addition to publishing their yearbook.
Andrade is motivated to inspire her students and constantly serves as a role model at Great Oak High School. Along with Renaissance, she is heavily involved with the school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination branch, where she helps prepare students for the world beyond just high school. She is very passionate about her students and is always looking for ways to improve their lives.
“I just love to be a part of the teenage experience. This is where you’ll experience your first love and our first car, your first job, college… My husband and I have chaperoned prom for the past few years now. I just love seeing all these students evolve into wonderful people,” she shared about her passion for teaching.
Andrade is an inspiring figure to her students. She is bent on leaving a legacy with her students and has left a lasting effect on how much they value their education.
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