Dear Editor: On behalf of the teachers of Hatch Elementary School, I share this letter that was shared with the Cabrillo Unified School District governing board in May.
Kitty Rea was usually found sitting at a piano bench or zipping across town in her signature yellow Volkswagen bug. Powered by her passion for music, the woman everyone knew as âMs. Kittyâ was a cyclone of creativity, bustling from one school to the next, sharing her magic with countless children and adults.
Today, that magic is a matter of memories. Rea, 69, died in hospice care on April 15 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
âShe was so vibrant, just endless energy for everything she loved,â said Maddie Rea, Kitty Reaâs daughter, in an email to the Review. âShe would light up especially when talking about her students or old theater career. Even when she was in immense pain or completely exhausted, sheâd get so much energy and happiness from seeing her students. When she was teaching, I think we both forgot that she was sick.â
Hatch Elementary Schoolâs Young Authors Week, a weeklong series of reading activities, has always strived to encourage students to cherish reading in and out of the classroom. Even as the school continues remote learning this year, the eventâs mission remains the same.
Thursdayâs Community Readers Day, when a handful of volunteers normally read to multiple classrooms, will take place over Zoom. The schoolâs annual âRead-a-thonâ includes several events meant to highlight studentsâ favorite stories, literature and characters. There will be schoolwide Bingo with activities such as reading on the phone or Facetime, recommending a book to a friend and reading in a homemade fort.
Just before the new year, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new plan for public schools: incentives from $450 to $750 per elementary student if schools reopen in February. Even if