02/03/2023
Each year during Catholic Schools Week, we are happy to announce our annual recipient of the St. Cecilia Catholic School Honorary Outstanding Graduate Award. Being named an Honorary Outstanding Graduate represents a special distinction that sets this individual apart from others in that his/her dedication to St. Cecilia Catholic School and students throughout the years exemplifies the qualities of a committed supporter of Catholic education, and specifically of our school. Today we honored Lorraine Sanche as the 2023 recipient – the full text of the award presentation can be found below:
Welcome parents as we celebrate our parents as part of CSW.
At this time, we are proud to announce a special award that St. Cecilia Catholic School traditionally presents during Catholic Schools Week – our “Honorary Graduate”.
Being named an “Honorary Graduate” represents a special distinction that sets this individual apart from others in that his or her dedication to St. Cecilia Catholic School and students throughout the years exemplifies the qualities of a committed supporter of Catholic education, and specifically of our school.
This teacher has been an integral part of our school’s teaching faculty for over the past 20 years, and when you couple her experience teaching at other schools, and her time as a teaching assistant, this faculty member has over 40 years of experience in education.
However, before joining the St. Cecilia faculty this teacher was a long time parishioner and a very committed volunteer. She worked with sacrament preparation for first communion for the Hispanic community. After all of her volunteering she joined the parish staff as CCE coordinator for the Spanish Community. Even after she started teaching at St. Cecilia she continued as the coordinator of the Spanish CCE and helped coordinate our students volunteer efforts in the Sunday CCE programs.
This teacher was not an instructor of a “core subject”, although at St. Cecilia, it has been treated as an important subject for years. Over these years, this teacher has helped countless students learn to think and speak differently.
It is difficult to peg how many students exactly, without a lot of research, so we tried to estimate: since this teacher has taught at all grade levels, but doesn’t always teach every grade level, we estimate that this teacher has taught a low estimate of about 400 students per year. 400 students each year to care for and inspire and teach to learn to love language. To do that with quality and consistency, that is a mentally and emotionally draining feat, but this teacher kept bringing her best, leading students to countless national plata y oro awards. For 20 years, that means she has provided direct instruction and has brought her care and wisdom and love to over 8000 St. Cecilia students.
To break that down ever further, a teacher will average 5+ hours of teaching in a normal school day. 180 days a year. That’s a low average of 900 teaching hours per year. Just at our school, this teacher ha instruido for more than 18,000 classroom hours.
Prior to moving to the United States, this teacher completed 6 years of teacher training and received the title Maestra de Educacion Primaria Urbana before moving to the United States. Even at the age of 15, this teacher began teaching farm workers how to read and write, and at her current age, she has colleagues that were once her very own students. Reviewing her file, we found that the principal that elevated her to a classroom teacher, Bridget Collins, said of her “She is an incredible Spanish teacher.”
Before we officially announce this year’s honorary graduate, perhaps the children can help us out. Does anyone know the cancion “Dias de la semana?” Show me!
We can think of no better way to honor this profesora suprema de espanol. Por favor, aplaude conmigo, para la graduada honoraria de este ano, Senora Lorraine Sanche.