826 Valencia is proud to announce that Laurette Lau of Sutro Elementary School is our Teacher of the Month this April.

Ms. Lau has made amazing contributions to Sutro Elementary above and beyond her already extraordinary role as a Chinese bilingual educator. One parent wrote, "The ability of Ms. Lau's non-native English speakers to study and perform the same tasks as the general education class is a reflection of Ms. Lau's teaching skills and expectations."

She has organized several fieldtrips, including a trip to the de Young and a visit to the Yerba Buena Gardens ice skating rink for a lesson from ice skating legend Brian Boitano. About her fieldtrips, one of her students writes, “She makes learning fun and exciting.”

She also brings her tremendous energy to the teaching of science in the classroom. She worked with volunteers from UCSF to teach her students about the human ear and sound waves, as well as organizing a multi-day fieldtrip to Clem Miller Environmental Education Center to learn about geology. Her deep commitment to the natural sciences also leads her to organize walks where her class follows creeks back to their source, exposing her students to real ecology around the city.

One student wrote to us saying, “Ms. Lau comes up with amazing art activities.” We at 826 Valencia are equally impressed, having been lent a stunning collection of student art from her class’ quilt project. Looking at the students’ artwork, it’s clear that their work is a product of both hard work and self-expression.

“This has been a spectacular third grade!” exclaims one of her students. We wish to congratulate the spectacular educator behind it all. Thank you, Ms. Lau, for all of your hard work! We’re very fortunate to have a teacher like Ms. Lau in our community.