Over 1,000 students at La Mesa Junior High School were invited to have pancakes for breakfast made by their very own teachers on Thursday morning as a reward for their academic achievements and for putting their full effort into their schoolwork and earning “A” grades.
Music was blaring from the loudspeakers in the quad at 7:30 a.m., and teachers were handing off hundreds of pancakes to La Mesa Junior High School students as they trickled in through the main entrance of school before beginning their day of classes.
With huge smiles, high energy, and a lot of love and dedication to their jobs, the school’s staff and administration spent an hour cooking pancakes, prepping different toppings such as fruit, and filling up cups of orange juice, creating a tasty breakfast to fuel the students for the day of learning ahead.
Natasha Moreno, seventh-grade science teacher and organizer of the celebration, got the idea from the school where she began her teaching career. Located in Burbank, it was also the school she attended when she was a young girl.
This was a tradition she grew up experiencing throughout her years and she wanted to bring the idea to her La Mesa community because of her fond memories surrounding the celebration.
“We invited any student who earned at least an A-, A, or A+ in our first semester … we invited over 1,000 students, which is pretty much our entire population,” said Moreno. “They work so hard. Our kids have a lot on their plate. A lot of them do things beyond just school hours and so we really just want to reward them and celebrate them for all of their hard work.”
To make the celebration a formal event, staff created invitations that were sent home with the students, so their families at home were aware of their achievements and the school’s way of celebrating their victories.
Not only did students get to celebrate themselves by enjoying a plate of a fluffy cake stack, but they also had the chance to create connections with their teachers and other administrative staff, something the La Mesa community always aims for.
The social gathering also aimed at teaching the students who were volunteering to be of service to others in their own community.
A few students who were assisting teachers by pouring syrup, handing out juice, and connecting outside of the classroom were also learning to care about others at their school and come out of their shells.
At events hosted by the school throughout the year, students are placed in leadership roles so they can develop important skills such as socialization and gain confidence in who they are, said ASB Director Cesar Noboa.
A few of the students were so dedicated to their roles for the pancake breakfast that Noboa “had to beg them to finally go eat,” he said.
The morning consisted of teachers serving their students for a job well done and encouraging them to continue working hard in whatever they set their mind to.
“It’s such a great school and this is like the manifestation of that, of everybody working together to celebrate the kids,” said Achieve English teacher Lynn Holmgren.
