As educators, our responsibility, our mission and our passion is to teach children. In the process, we learn from them and their families as well.
As a result of recent events, I have learned some heartbreaking and some heartwarming truths. It is agonizingly hard to lose a student to death. In 2008, we said goodbye to Carlsbad High School student Mitchell Thorp, who died after a five-year battle with an undiagnosed illness.
More recently, cancer claimed the young lives of Jefferson Elementary's Miranda Orozco and Carlsbad High's Chase Quartarone. Chase's classmate, Sam Reiser, continues to fight this disease. He has endured months of treatments including radiation, chemotherapy, and blood and bone marrow transfusions.
The emotional costs of serious illnesses are beyond description. The financial costs can be staggering. This is where the heartwarming part comes in.
As a way of honoring Mitchell's life, his parents, Beth and Brad Thorp, established the Mitchell Thorp Foundation to help families of North County children facing life-threatening illnesses. The Foundation held its first-annual Mitchell Thorp Walkathon on January 23rd at Poinsettia Park's Thorp Field, which was named for Mitchell. The purpose was to raise money to help the Quartarone and Reiser families deal with their extensive and expensive medical bills.
Sun shines for sons of Carlsbad
After a week of wet, gray weather, the sun miraculously came out for the Walkathon. The parking lot was full one hour before the event, which attracted nearly 1,000 participants. District administrators, staff, students and friends of recipient families were present. Many wore inspirational apparel. Community members, from grandparents of Carlsbad Unified students to City of Carlsbad officials and staff, were also enthusiastically in attendance.
Countless people said they came because they wanted to be part of the effort. They said they were happy, but not surprised, to see the community come together for an event such as this.
Volunteer Meredith Nowak reported that more than 100 people signed up to help. “Chase was the same age as my son Trent, who's assisting me today,” she said. “We wanted to give back.”
School principals were out in full force as volunteers. (Pacific Rim Principal Robert Devich may well have a productive second career as a traffic cop.) Kelly School Principal Tressie Armstrong manned the bake sale booth. “This is what we do at our district,” she said. “We support each other.”
The event raised more than $65,000, led by the Aviara Oaks Elementary team, which contributed an amazing $3,235.
Carlsbad Police Officer Torrey Cluett said his Carlsbad Police Officers Association raised $300 in just one week, noting that many officers also donated individually. “We work for the city, but we want to support the public and our Carlsbad community,” he said. “This is a family event and we're all family here.”
Officer Cluett is right. When my family and I moved to Carlsbad in 2004 so that I could take over as district superintendent, I immediately sensed that this was a generous-spirited, close-knit community. We were warmly welcomed by neighbors and colleagues and have made many good friends over the years.
On January 23rd I realized how special Carlsbad is. I saw so many people not just talk the talk to support families facing challenges, but also walk the four-mile walk.
As a result of recent events, I have learned some heartbreaking and some heartwarming truths. It is agonizingly hard to lose a student to death. In 2008, we said goodbye to Carlsbad High School student Mitchell Thorp, who died after a five-year battle with an undiagnosed illness.
More recently, cancer claimed the young lives of Jefferson Elementary's Miranda Orozco and Carlsbad High's Chase Quartarone. Chase's classmate, Sam Reiser, continues to fight this disease. He has endured months of treatments including radiation, chemotherapy, and blood and bone marrow transfusions.
The emotional costs of serious illnesses are beyond description. The financial costs can be staggering. This is where the heartwarming part comes in.
As a way of honoring Mitchell's life, his parents, Beth and Brad Thorp, established the Mitchell Thorp Foundation to help families of North County children facing life-threatening illnesses. The Foundation held its first-annual Mitchell Thorp Walkathon on January 23rd at Poinsettia Park's Thorp Field, which was named for Mitchell. The purpose was to raise money to help the Quartarone and Reiser families deal with their extensive and expensive medical bills.
Sun shines for sons of Carlsbad
After a week of wet, gray weather, the sun miraculously came out for the Walkathon. The parking lot was full one hour before the event, which attracted nearly 1,000 participants. District administrators, staff, students and friends of recipient families were present. Many wore inspirational apparel. Community members, from grandparents of Carlsbad Unified students to City of Carlsbad officials and staff, were also enthusiastically in attendance.
Countless people said they came because they wanted to be part of the effort. They said they were happy, but not surprised, to see the community come together for an event such as this.
Volunteer Meredith Nowak reported that more than 100 people signed up to help. “Chase was the same age as my son Trent, who's assisting me today,” she said. “We wanted to give back.”
School principals were out in full force as volunteers. (Pacific Rim Principal Robert Devich may well have a productive second career as a traffic cop.) Kelly School Principal Tressie Armstrong manned the bake sale booth. “This is what we do at our district,” she said. “We support each other.”
The event raised more than $65,000, led by the Aviara Oaks Elementary team, which contributed an amazing $3,235.
Carlsbad Police Officer Torrey Cluett said his Carlsbad Police Officers Association raised $300 in just one week, noting that many officers also donated individually. “We work for the city, but we want to support the public and our Carlsbad community,” he said. “This is a family event and we're all family here.”
Officer Cluett is right. When my family and I moved to Carlsbad in 2004 so that I could take over as district superintendent, I immediately sensed that this was a generous-spirited, close-knit community. We were warmly welcomed by neighbors and colleagues and have made many good friends over the years.
On January 23rd I realized how special Carlsbad is. I saw so many people not just talk the talk to support families facing challenges, but also walk the four-mile walk.