Ode to Mrs. Stringos-Arias, Arts Teacher � InterACT

Ode to Mrs. Stringos-Arias, Arts Teacher � InterACT

Ode to Mrs. Stringos-Arias, Arts Teacher

by Martha Infante

Helen Stringos-Arias with unknown student, 1984

Thanks to social networking, I was recently informed that my elementary school arts teacher, Helen Stringos-Arias recently passed away. Her passing gave me pause, as a confluence of thoughts, ideas, and reflections about my elementary school experience came together in a coherent way. This, mostly due to the incredible efforts of a public school teacher in 1970′s East L.A.
Students at Lorena Street elementary in Boyle Heights lived in the heyday of arts instruction. I vividly remember participating in chorus, dance, orchestra, and drama classes on a weekly basis and constantly rehearsing for large performances in each of these disciplines. Our dance and drama teacher, Helen Stringos was known as a “tough love” teacher who demanded excellence from all of her students and was not scared to call you out if your effort was lackluster. In the classroom, she taught the gifted cluster of students and her instruction was