SAYING GOODBYE LUPIN HILL ELEMENTARY STUDENTS DECORATE SCHOOL BENCHES WITH THEIR HAND- PAINTED TILES IN MEMORY OF A TEACHER WHO DIED OF CANCER.

Byline: Sandra J. Terrell Staff Writer

CALABASAS - A carnival was held recently at Lupin Hill Elementary School in Calabasas to raise public awareness for an ongoing tile painting project that started after the death of a beloved teacher two years ago.

The tile project, which was originally started by three parents, Pat Audick, Mary Ann Rush and Bert Vigil, was held in honor of George Hees, a fourth-grade teacher at Lupin Hill who died of cancer.

So far, said Audick, who is the mother of 10-year-old Kaity and 13-year- old Kyle, ``Four benches have been decorated with the painted tiles, and (we have) an additional 450 tiles to decorate four more benches.''

Parents and family members have gotten involved in the project and said Audick, ``Children paint their favorite pets or flowers (onto the tiles) and teachers (have participated) to say thank you to the children.''

During the 1998-99 school year, a dedication was held for the Hees' family members in the school's Garden of Readin', where the benches were placed. Trees were planted and Vigil, an employee of the Agoura Pony Baseball League which shares land with Lupin Hill, put in the garden's sprinkler system. The tile work was performed by Tom Gehret, who spent hours carefully placing the tiles on the benches. ``Carol Martino, the principal (of Lupin Hill), was behind the idea of beautification and commemorating George (Hees). It has grown from (its) original concept. (This) has been a whole community effort,'' said Audick.

``The children are so sure of what they want on these tiles. I'm always giving them a scrap of paper so that they can draw their ideas,'' said Audick. ``I love the sentiments, (the comments were) all positive. (The children) knew it was going to be a special place and they wanted to leave something behind. The students and the community can take pride in the tiles, they can come back and visit year after year.''

Donations from local businesses and parents have financed the project, said Audick. ``If we had not gotten the donations, we would not have been able to pay for this,'' she said.

A $5 donation covers the cost of each tile and $2.50 of that goes toward the school to help with the cost of school programs. For information, call the Las Virgenes School District at [phone].

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2 photos

Photo: (1 -- 2) Kaity Audick, above, shows off an example of the tiles that were hand-painted by students at Lupin Hill Elementary School. She and her brother Kyle, 13, sit on one of the completed benches, left, that will rest in the school's Garden of Readin' in memory of teacher George Hees.