This September marked the beginning of my twenty-eighth year at John Thomas Dye: twenty-eight years of “Saluting the Dawn” at morning assembly. As the day of the Back to School Picnic approached, I took a long look around the campus, so peaceful, so quiet . . . and thought, was I ready to begin another year?

Was I ready to bring the same kind of dedication, enthusiasm and commitment as I had the past twenty-seven years? And then I thought about how lucky I was. I thought about all the alumni and all the families who believe in the Dye dream, the hundreds of talented and eager students who bring hard work, a joy for learning and smiles on their faces to school each and every day, and the teachers who love children and take pride in seeing their students grow.

I thought about John and Cathyrn and I hoped that they would be proud of their school today. Since the day they welcomed their first students into their living room, John Thomas Dye has not only stood for academic excellence, but also for the development of the strong morals and clear values of its students. I feel a strong sense of stewardship and responsibility to ensure that these standards of excellence, established seventy-eight years ago, continue to define John Dye today and in the future. My respect and admiration for their vision for this School and their determination to make it a reality only grows with the passage of time.

I believe our shared commitment and dedication to our School's mission is why our School now stands in a preeminent position in the Los Angeles educational community and is a vital and living testament to the Dyes and their cherished son, John Thomas. And then, I thought, yes, I know they would be proud. 

Before I knew it, the day of the Back to School Picnic was upon us and, at precisely 6:00 P.M., the silence and serenity of the campus was broken. The air was filled with the sound of children's laughter and the warm greetings of parents and teachers. I took another long look around our campus and I knew there was no place I would rather be and that, indeed, I was ready for another school year. 

As always, I would be delighted to hear from you. Please stay in touch! Your accomplishments are a continual source of inspiration to the faculty. You can email me at RMichaud@jtdschool.com.

Raymond R. Michaud, Jr.
Headmaster