A letter from my mom about her teacher in HS

rekeyed by Piet:  unedited.

 

October 5, 2011

Cerini Creely Bess

Shell Beach CA

Editor

School Newspaper

Newport Harbor Union High School

1600 16th St.

Newport Beach CA

96263

 

Greetings from a 1955 graduate of NHHS (now in my 70's).

 

I look back with great fondness on my high school days at your (our) school. I loved my class-mates and loved growing up in a small town and a beach town. So did many of my class-mates, who settled on the Central Coast because it was close to what NB used to be for us. (OC grew so BIG.) We also loved NHHS because of great teachers, whom we loved and remember so fondly. Our high regard for our teachers was recently brought up for 2 of us (Diana Crane Mann and I). We both collect artists' paintings we find here and there, and Diana called me this week to tell me about her most recent find.

It was a lovely oil painting by Shirley Laurie Rice. Ms. Laurie (in 1952) was our art teacher so we were both thrilled to have her “back in our lives” again. A great part of our thrill was remembering her kindness to certain students. She was a great encourager to Diana's husband Darrell (1952) and to the shyest  ever boy in my art class. She discovered he had a cartooning talent. Under her encouragement he absolutely bloomed. He followed his interest (in cartooning) at OCC and-- I believe, on from there.

So-- this letter is a tribute to her, and to the teachers who can impact lives so greatly, and to the teachers you now have. I am so happy that Diana and I have had this moment to re-connect with Ms. Laurie (soon after 1952 she married Ed Rice). Diana and I wonder if she too was here in San Luis Obispo County. (Mr. William McLaughlin was in Cambria). If anyone in the school can find out, please let us know. If you print this it can be a tribute to her.

GO SAILORS,

Cerini C. Bess