Mr. Pickard was very concerned when I had my accident in 1982. He came to visit me at my work in 1983. His signing of my yearbook my senior year was so funny that I still laugh about it. He said most people didn't get his humor. I learned a lot in his Forensics class. It gave me tools to stand up for what I believe.
Mr. Pickard made such an impact in my life! He was and will always be my very favorite teacher. I am so glad I had the chance to let him know what a force he was in my life. Between Forensics class and NADA i am forever grateful.
Wow, what an influence Mr. Pickard had on my life! To this day I still reflect on a quote he had in his room "you, and you alone, are responsible for the quality and direction of your life". I have tried to live by that moto throughout most of my adult life. I have shared it with countless people at work and with my family. I have gone so far as to say I want it engraved on my tombstone!
Mr. Pickard -- Thank you for the profound influence you have had on my life and that of others. RIP, Curt.
As with many of you, Mr. Pickard was also my favorite teacher (despite the crush I had on him) And yes, he encouraged me to be a part of the Forensics Club. Before I would go to competition he would have me rehearse in front of one of his classes and it paid off. I won the teacher auction and had the opportunity to eat lunch with him and he bought me a Ravi Shankar album for having the highest bid (I think it was $30). In 1972 I went to the school to visit him. Years later I heard that he moved to Hawaii. I would have loved to had the opportunity to talk to him in a conversation as adult. RIP.
Like many other students, Mr. Pickard was my favorite teacher. He was responsible for turning a shy, insecure individual into a positive young man who believed that he could achieve anything if he just set his mind to it. What made Mr. Pickard so special was is positive reinforcement techniques.
Mr. Pickard was one of a few gifted teachers who had transformative powers. I was crushed when I learned of his early death after battling cancer. However, I am sure that he is looking down on us from "another dimension" and smiling. He is watching us knowing that his hard working with so many students over the years has paid off.
Never will forget Mr. Pickard's impact on my life. His support when my Grandmother died was unbelievable, all he said to me was "Ms Burke, I will mark you here in my class until you are ready to return." He gave me the freedom to grieve what for me was an incredible loss, what a gift he was to my life. I will never forget his words of wisdom and his kindness. I will always be greatful for his guidance during one of the most difficult times of my life.
"Uncle Bob" was the greatest teacher I ever met. He inspired me to follow my dreams and my own path. On my last day in school, when I told him I did not want to leave, he told me the following: "Your life will be unconventional. You will never be satisfied doing one thing for your entire life. Once you master something you will get bored and want to learn something new. Do not expect others to understand the many changes in jobs you will have." This has been the story of my life, and if it had not been for Mr. Pickard seeing that in me long before I saw it in myself, I would not have understood. Thank you "Uncle Bob" for always being an inspiration.
He invited some controversy while teaching the class of '87; e.g., he once called for a moment of silence for someone's passing, and a student complained that, as a public teacher and therefore an agent of the state, he had violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Certainly, some of his pedagogical approaches and techniques would not be acceptable these days, but I appreciated him despite his often laissez faire approach to teaching.
He was the first person who taught me that I was so much more than my physical appearance (I have a cleft lip and cleft palate, which caused me considerable insecurity in my youth).
Truly an amazing teacher and even more amazing man. From his Earth Science Class in the Spring of 1970, we were inspired to celebrate the first "Earth Day" at West by planting a tree. He had a unique way of reaching his students and enriching their lives in ways that would carry forward for the rest of their lives.
Maria (Chris) Guevara (1982)
Mr. Pickard was very concerned when I had my accident in 1982. He came to visit me at my work in 1983. His signing of my yearbook my senior year was so funny that I still laugh about it. He said most people didn't get his humor. I learned a lot in his Forensics class. It gave me tools to stand up for what I believe.
Shannon Kahn (Magid) (1988)
Mr. Pickard made such an impact in my life! He was and will always be my very favorite teacher. I am so glad I had the chance to let him know what a force he was in my life. Between Forensics class and NADA i am forever grateful.
Bob Kennedy (1981)
Mr. Pickard was my favorite teacher- Always positive and supportive, such a wonderful man and a great influence in my life.
Curt Bryant (1982)
Wow, what an influence Mr. Pickard had on my life! To this day I still reflect on a quote he had in his room "you, and you alone, are responsible for the quality and direction of your life". I have tried to live by that moto throughout most of my adult life. I have shared it with countless people at work and with my family. I have gone so far as to say I want it engraved on my tombstone!
Mr. Pickard -- Thank you for the profound influence you have had on my life and that of others. RIP, Curt.
Mercedez (Formerly Belinda) Cruz (1970)
As with many of you, Mr. Pickard was also my favorite teacher (despite the crush I had on him) And yes, he encouraged me to be a part of the Forensics Club. Before I would go to competition he would have me rehearse in front of one of his classes and it paid off. I won the teacher auction and had the opportunity to eat lunch with him and he bought me a Ravi Shankar album for having the highest bid (I think it was $30). In 1972 I went to the school to visit him. Years later I heard that he moved to Hawaii. I would have loved to had the opportunity to talk to him in a conversation as adult. RIP.
Tom Caracash (1979)
Like many other students, Mr. Pickard was my favorite teacher. He was responsible for turning a shy, insecure individual into a positive young man who believed that he could achieve anything if he just set his mind to it. What made Mr. Pickard so special was is positive reinforcement techniques.
Mr. Pickard was one of a few gifted teachers who had transformative powers. I was crushed when I learned of his early death after battling cancer. However, I am sure that he is looking down on us from "another dimension" and smiling. He is watching us knowing that his hard working with so many students over the years has paid off.
Kathy Burke (1981)
Never will forget Mr. Pickard's impact on my life. His support when my Grandmother died was unbelievable, all he said to me was "Ms Burke, I will mark you here in my class until you are ready to return." He gave me the freedom to grieve what for me was an incredible loss, what a gift he was to my life. I will never forget his words of wisdom and his kindness. I will always be greatful for his guidance during one of the most difficult times of my life.
Lori Dubowitz (Mauer) (1976)
"Uncle Bob" was the greatest teacher I ever met. He inspired me to follow my dreams and my own path. On my last day in school, when I told him I did not want to leave, he told me the following: "Your life will be unconventional. You will never be satisfied doing one thing for your entire life. Once you master something you will get bored and want to learn something new. Do not expect others to understand the many changes in jobs you will have." This has been the story of my life, and if it had not been for Mr. Pickard seeing that in me long before I saw it in myself, I would not have understood. Thank you "Uncle Bob" for always being an inspiration.
Brent Stenhouse (1987)
I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Pickard's passing.He invited some controversy while teaching the class of '87; e.g., he once called for a moment of silence for someone's passing, and a student complained that, as a public teacher and therefore an agent of the state, he had violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
Certainly, some of his pedagogical approaches and techniques would not be acceptable these days, but I appreciated him despite his often laissez faire approach to teaching.
He was the first person who taught me that I was so much more than my physical appearance (I have a cleft lip and cleft palate, which caused me considerable insecurity in my youth).
Michael DeGasperin (1970)
Truly an amazing teacher and even more amazing man. From his Earth Science Class in the Spring of 1970, we were inspired to celebrate the first "Earth Day" at West by planting a tree. He had a unique way of reaching his students and enriching their lives in ways that would carry forward for the rest of their lives.
Rest in peace, sir.