40 Years Later, Teachers are Still Heroes

California Elementary School celebrated educators who made significant impacts on their students' education, lives and futures, reuniting students with the very people they call their heroes 40 years later. On Friday, Jan. 23, students and teachers gathered at Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School on California Street as they conducted the Mrs. Willie Maude James Award Assembly. The assembly, overall, honored Mrs. Willie James for her service in the San Bernardino School District of over 30 years. It has been over 40 years that she has been impacting children’s lives throughout the community. Later that afternoon, at the Days Inn Hotel, all alumni students, teachers and family members gathered for a luncheon with a ceremony to award the 11 educational honorees who have also made the same impact. California Elementary School alum and event host Byron Stringer, as well as other alum students, were instrumental in making the reunion happen. “We all decided that this is the way to celebrate our heroes that made such a big difference in our lives,” Stringer said. “We love you. We can't tell you thank you enough,” he said to his heroes. Starting at noon, as people piled in, lunch was served as old friends caught up and mingled. Alum Donna Overton-Hope then started the ceremony with a prayer as attendees finished their lunch. Prior to bringing the honorees up to the podium, previous students each got a chance to read the honorees' biographies before presenting them with their certificate and award. Honored educators included: George C. Brown, Andrew G. Brown, Ms. Gleda Moss Bridges, Mrs. Mildred L. Geiger, Dr. Mildred Dalton Hampton-Henry, Dr. Margaret B. Hill, Ms. Carolyn Martin, Ms. Victoria Rose Stringer, Ms. Carrie Swanson, Mrs. Mary Ann Vincent, and Mrs. Willie James. Each alum student had the opportunity to come up to the podium to briefly say thanks and reminisce about the times at California Elementary School. “I’ve had a very successful life, a beautiful childhood. I wouldn’t trade it in for anything and Mrs. James was a big part of it,” Walter Parker told the crowd. “I feel so honored to be in your presence today and I just want to congratulate you. I admire every elementary school teacher I come in contact with,” Dr. Margaret Hill humbly told her fellow honorees while at the podium. “And Ms. James, I always liked you but today I have to say I love you,” she added while the crowd chuckled. When it came time to honor the late Ms. Carolyn Martin, her daughter, son and sister came up to accept the award and share a brief speech in her honor. Her son, who is also an alumni of California School, Harold Martin, nearly speechless, said, “On behalf of my mom I’d like to thank all of you. I know she’s here, smiling at all of us right now,” as Stringer wrapped his arms around Martin to give him a hug. The entire luncheon was dedicated to awarding and celebrating every single honoree. “If we could give you a billion dollars, it wouldn’t be enough,” Stringer said to the honorees. Master Artist Charles Bibbs also made an appearance and unveiled two pieces of his own artwork, then given as gifts from the California School alumni to former teachers Mildred L. Geiger and Willie James. [END] Date: 1/23/2015 Time: 12:00 p.m. Google Map Event Location: Days Inn Address: 2000 Ostrems Way San Bernardino CA 92407 Description: Teachers & community leaders to be honored for service. Acclaimed artist, Charles Bibbs, to unveil artwork. 12-2 p.m. CONTACT INFO Phone: 951-682-8185 On January 23, 2015 in San Bernardino, California two events will take place to celebrate local teachers for outstanding service, by students they taught over 40 years ago. 9:30-10:30 am at Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School, 2699 N. California Street, the “Mrs. Willie Maude James Award Assembly”. Honoring Mrs. Willie James for over 30 years of service in the San Bernardino School District. Over 40 years’ as a Sunday School Teacher and impacting children’s lives in the community. Proclamations will be presented by elected officials. 12:00-2pm at the Days Inn, 2000 Ostrems Way the, “Honoring our Community Hero’s Luncheon”. Eleven teachers and community leaders to be honored for their dedicated community service. Internationally acclaimed Master Artist Charles Bibbs will unveil featured artwork during luncheon. Charles Bibbs work is displayed in museums and galleries across America. “For decades teachers have been, first responders for children, helping them to survive the rough inner- city life”. Students who once attended schools in the San Bernardino area formed the California School Alumni to begin a tradition of honoring teachers and community leaders who are making a difference. Also sponsored by Vision Theatrical Foundation Inc. and Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School. Some Honorees are available for interview prior to event. Media is invited to attend Assembly & invitation only Luncheon. For more info. Call R. Byron Stringer 702-574-5727. STUDENTS RETURN 40 YEARS LATER TO HONOR TEACHERS On January 23, 2015 in San Bernardino, California two events will take place to celebrate local teachers for outstanding service, by students they taught over 40 years ago. 9:30-10:30 am at Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School, 2699 N. California Street, the “Mrs. Willie Maude James Award Assembly”. Honoring Mrs. Willie James for over 30 years of service in the San Bernardino School District. Over 40 years’ as a Sunday School Teacher and impacting children’s lives in the community. Proclamations will be presented by elected officials. 12:00-2pm at the Days Inn, 2000 Ostrems Way the, “Honoring our Community Hero’s Luncheon”. Eleven teachers and community leaders to be honored for their dedicated community service. Internationally acclaimed Master Artist Charles Bibbs will unveil featured artwork during luncheon. Charles Bibbs work is displayed in museums and galleries across America. “For decades teachers have been, first responders for children, helping them to survive the rough inner- city life”. Students who once attended schools in the San Bernardino area formed the California School Alumni to begin a tradition of honoring teachers and community leaders who are making a difference. Also sponsored by Vision Theatrical Foundation Inc. and Manuel A. Salinas Elementary School. Some Honorees are available for interview prior to event. Media is invited to attend Assembly & invitation only Luncheon. For more info. Call R. Byron Stringer 702-574-5727. Contacts: R. Byron Stringer, phone # 702-574-5727, email byronstringer@gmail.com Retired Las Vegas Police Officer, writer of Toe Tag Monologues (www.toetags.org) California School Alumni Member Terry Knox, phone # 702-719-9216 email ttknox39@yahoo.com California School Alumni Member Cassandra Griffin-McDaniel, phone # 936-442-0763 email crmcdaniel2@gmail.com California School Alumni Member Charles Bibbs, phone # 951-682-8185, www.cbibbs.com # # # ************************** PR Sent from San Bernardino City Unified School District: Attn: Education Desk January 15, 2015 No. 43 CHILDHOOD FRIENDS RETURN TO SAN BERNARDINO TO HONOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS Over the past four decades, R. Byron Stringer and his childhood friends have seen each other through happy times as well as challenging times. There have been births, deaths, career changes, and everything in between. Through it all one thing has remained constant, their love for the elementary school where they spent some of the best years of their childhood and the teachers who shaped them into the successful adults they are today. On Friday, January 23, Stringer and about a dozen other classmates will return to Salinas Elementary School in San Bernardino to honor a few of the educators who taught them in the 1970s, when the West Side campus was known as California School. One of the teachers they will honor during a school assembly and luncheon is Willie Maude James, an Alabama native who taught various grades at California Elementary in the 1970s. James, Stringer’s first-grade teacher, went on to have a successful 34-year career with the San Bernardino City Unified School District before retiring in 1994. “She loved us like we were her own children,” said Stringer, who is retired from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and is now a playwright. “She taught me to be comfortable in the skin I’m in.” Stringer and former classmates now scattered across the country have stayed in touch through the years, always reminiscing about California Elementary and the teachers who started them on their path to success. For years, they have talked about returning to San Bernardino to recognize their former teachers. This year, they finally decided to do it, aided by social media networks that made it easier to track down more classmates. The January 23 recognition will begin at 9:30 a.m. with an hour-long school assembly named in honor of James, who still lives in San Bernardino and teaches Sunday school at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. The assembly will be followed by the Honoring Our Community’s Heroes Luncheon at noon at the Days Inn, 2000 Ostrems Way in San Bernardino. The luncheon is by invitation only. Eleven teachers and community leaders will be honored for their commitment to San Bernardino’s children. Among the honorees are Board of Education member and retired District administrator Dr. Margaret Hill and Dr. Mildred Henry, a long-time educator who has a San Bernardino school named in her honor. “What these educators do, the way they nurture students, really makes a difference in so many lives,” Stringer said. “Through their profession, they have an impact on our entire nation.” For more information about the assembly, please call the Communications/Community Relations Department. For more information about the luncheon, please call R. Byron Stringer at (702) 574-5727. -mtgmtgmtg-