Saratoga News

Helen Oreb

Obituary

Helen Oreb

Teenagers having trouble succeeding at Saratoga and Los Gatos high schools have a place to go. As an alternative transition program, Nova* is there for students in the high school district who may otherwise fall through the cracks of the educational system. The program continues to play a vital role in students' lives, but it continues without its inspirational co-founder, Helen Oreb, who succumbed to cancer at age 59 on March 19.

As a teacher, Oreb dedicated 31 years of her life to students in the district. Starting as a physical education instructor at Saratoga High in 1965, she moved on to build a nationally recognized journalism program. She was also an academic advisor, helping students achieve their goals.

"Helen knew how to get people to respond to her thinking. And she had the best rapport with students of any teacher I've ever known," said Superintendent Tod Likins.

Her legacy continues through the Nova* program, her final achievement.

Students at Nova* work to identify a transition goal. Most often, students aim to return to their home high school or pass the high school proficiency exam.

And Oreb didn't let "at risk" students give up on themselves; she taught them to believe in themselves and take responsibility for themselves.

She was a storyteller, and now her former students and colleagues have their own stories to tell about a remarkable and compassionate woman.

"She had the unusual ability to see good qualities in troubled kids and work with those positive qualities to help the kids turn their lives around. She was irreverent, and she was a straight shooter. The kids knew where they stood with her, and they knew they could trust her," said Katie Anderson, the parent of a former Nova* student.

Tarn Wilson, an English teacher at Nova*, recalls the effect Oreb had on students from the moment they came to the program. "She would take students through a rigorous interviewing process that would take a couple of hours," she said. "They would come out very humbled, self-aware and ready to make change."

Teachers at Nova* joked that students would become "Helenized" after a visit with her. Combining intuition and wit, she treated students differently according to their needs and made lasting impressions on young minds.

Judy Ellis is collecting memories, stories and thoughts about Oreb to be put into a book. Send information by April 21 to Judy Ellis, c/o Saratoga High School, 20300 Herriman Ave., Saratoga, 95070, or fax it to 867-3577.