Ms. Lauritzen: Blach Falcon from the start

“The most important thing, as a teacher, is building the relationships with your students, with your staff, [and] with your parents,” says Ms. Lauritzen, special education and English teacher here at Blach. From attending Blach as a student, to finally becoming a teacher here, Ms Lauritzen’s career is certainly a full-circle accomplishment. But how did she get here?

The most important thing, as a teacher, is building the relationships with your students, with your staff, [and] with your parents

Ms. Lauritzen was surrounded by teachers at a very young age. “My mother was a teacher,” she says. “She used to tell me stories about her classes ” Ms Lauritzen also spent time with her sister and pretended to create a classroom for her dolls.

“[My sister] and I used to play ‘school all the time.” Her dad would make desks for her Barbies, while Ms. Lauritzen and her sister made miniature worksheets.

However, her biggest reason for becoming a teacher was because she “wanted to work in a profession that connected with people ”

Ms. Lauritzen moved to this neighborhood in 6th grade, attending Loyola during her last year of elementary school She went to Blach for junior high and St. Francis for high school.

“Growing up in Los Altos was probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” she says. Los Altos, in the 1970’s, was brimming with apricot orchards. “We rode our bikes everywhere...there’s lots of similarities between then and now, but we didn’t have technology,” she says.

Ms Lauritzen teaches both special education and English. The special education program “is phenomenal. The students, the teachers, the community, the staff all come together to support one another.” She loves seeing how the “Blach Way" surrounds students in the program with love and support. "We all have our strengths and challenges…it’s ok [for special education students] to make a mistake, [They] learn from it.”

She also appreciates how students get to be part of the school’s elective classes. “We’re inclusive All students feel like they’re proud to be Blach Falcons.”

One way she supports her special education students is by reading aloud to them everyday. “The students have time where they can relax and listen to a great story we can have a great discussion after.” particularly Kauai.”

As far as English, Ms. Lauritzen is the ideal teacher. “I love writing I love to teach writing,” she says. “I love to take an assignment and break it down.” She also enjoys editing and revising work “It’s a strength of mine.” She adores finding workarounds to make students’ writing more precise and teaching students to improve word choice and vocabulary to improve their writing.

In her free time, Ms. Lauritzen loves watching reality TV and reading. Her favorite shows include Top Chef and House Hunters.

“One of my favorite books of all time is Charlotte’s Web,” she says. “My father read us Charlotte's Web as a child… [There is] so much to be learned from that friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur.” Her former 3rd graders even did a play of the book at the end of the year

Mr. Lewis

Being a teacher has helped her, too. “When I was a student here at Blach, I struggled with reading comprehension.” She became a stronger reader by teaching reading and practicing on a daily basis. Ms Lauritzen’s other hobbies include baking, gardening, and traveling. “I love to bake,” she says. Currently looking to perfect her chocolate chip cookies, she enjoys searching for new recipes. She is also keen on gardening whether it’s working around in the yard or collecting houseplants. She spends time walking her golden retriever, Willow Rose, everyday

Ms. Lauritzen is an avid traveler, having been to Japan, France, and England. “I’d love to, in my retirement, go to some other places [like] Costa Rica.” She wishes to visit places with beaches. “I love Hawaii,

One of Ms. Lauritzen’s favorite movies is Top Gun as she believes the original is far superior to the remake She also enjoys going to concerts, whether it be smooth jazz or R&B.

After 40 years of teaching grades 2 through 8, Ms. Lauritzen is retiring this year.

“I have [mentored] new teachers, [but] my favorite place is to be in the classroom with the students.” She still has students who come see her or write her a note years after graduating Some of her former students are even teachers now.

It’s extremely rewarding “working with students that I hope will carry on the profession.” It’s all very fullcircle. “Once a Blach Falcon, always a Blach Falcon.” kids' faces after their performances. I enjoy seeing the progression of kids who almost know nothing about music, to going more in-depth to different and more difficult pieces.

So in an orchestra, when the arrays of musicality come together like the stars and the moon in the sky, yes the string instruments produce the sounds, but it is the conductor who brings everything together.

The crowd erupts into cheers as the judges silently sing their praises from afar. Fear scurries away, hiding in the shadows for its next prey The conductor takes a bow as the sparks of dread melt away to the roaring applause. It is in that specific moment that his contentment radiates against the dimly lit horde of faces from around. Hours of sweat. Hours of burden weighing him down. Hours of time taken away All lead to this moment, a moment of pride.