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Schools

Mr. Reich's Last Day of Class

After teaching more than 20,000 students in 33 years, the Calabasas High educator is saying goodbye.

In his 33 years of teaching at Calabasas High School, John Reich has taken very few sick days. 

"I have accumulated more than a year's worth because it is more fun to be here than it is to be out," he said. 

After the bell rings June 15, Reich will be out permanently as he says goodbye to Calabasas High and retires from a teaching career that has spanned nearly four decades. 

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Over the years, Reich has taught a variety of courses. From 1977 to 2005 he also coached the boys varsity soccer team.

He has been the yearbook adviser, athletics director, department chair and, on one occasion, the cheer squad's teacher sponsor. 

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"I'm kind of the remaining father of the school's founding generation," he said as he looked over an old cartoon rendering done of Calabasas High teachers by a yearbook class. 

In his final semester Reich is teaching AP European history, psychology, world history and a current events course. 

"There is no joy like helping a student achieve the 'aha' moment, where the student gets it," he said. 

With his current events class, for instance, Reich said he aims to teach students that the problems of the world need to be discussed and understood, not ignored.

"A student once told me, 'I never thought current events could be so fun. It's like a soap opera—once you get the plot, it's easy to follow.' " 

Reich was born in Hungary, raised in Australia and moved to the U.S. in 1966.

He attended Fairfax High School and went on to receive a political science degree and teaching credential from UCLA. 

"I got married while I was in college and wanted to teach while going to law school at night. I soon realized that it was just not for me," he said. "I have no regrets about it—I feel like I found the profession I was meant to be in." 

Reich spent his first five years teaching at Agoura High School and came to Calabasas at the first opportunity he got.

When reflecting on his decision, Reich said he always knew he would be teaching in Calabasas.

He attributes his happiness at Calabasas High School to the students, teachers and administrators he found there. 

"They are good people. Our kids are really good kids. They're not troublemakers," he said. "Even those who get in trouble, they are not mean kids. The students are open to learning here."

In addition to his teaching duties, Reich is the vice president of the Las Virgenes Educators Association, and he created Coyote Connect, a program to help incoming 9th-graders transition  into high school.

Having taught more than 20,000 students in his career as a teacher, Reich said that although he will enjoy spending more time with his grandsons in Denver and a granddaughter in Irvine, it will be difficult to not return next school year. 

"This is home," he said as he sat at a student's desk in his classroom. "It really just feels like two or three years have gone by."

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