Altadena Teacher Faces Loss of Home and Classroom in Eaton Fire
Altadena Teacher Recognized During Teacher Appreciation Week Despite Personal Losses
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. — During what began as a typical school day, a heartfelt surprise unfolded for Lisa Muthiah, a cherished educator from Altadena, whose resilience has made a profound impact on her school community.
In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week, FOX 11’s Star Harvey visited Odyssey Charter School South, accompanied by the founders of Greatfull Mail, to honor Ms. Muthiah. Known affectionately as "Ms. Lisa," she has remained a steadfast presence for her students despite losing both her home and her classroom in the devastating Eaton Fire.
As students sat quietly, Harvey entered the classroom with a box adorned in rose petals, filled with handwritten notes and a gift card, all gathered through Greatfull Mail—a platform dedicated to collecting messages of gratitude.
"On behalf of FOX 11 News, your students and staff here at Odyssey South, as well as the team from Greatfull Mail, we would like to honor you for Teacher Appreciation Week," Harvey announced amid applause from her students.
Overcome with emotion, Ms. Lisa reflected on the difficult journey faced by the Altadena community over the past year and a half. "This has been a really rough year and a half in a lot of ways. But there’s nothing like teaching to get to be present in the moment," she shared.
The Eaton Fire severely impacted Altadena and neighboring regions. Odyssey Charter School South Principal Bonnie Brimecombe noted that the fire resulted in the total loss of the school, displacing families and nearly halving student enrollment.
"We lost the majority of the buildings," Brimecombe remarked. "Every single one of my teachers lost their entire classrooms." Ms. Lisa, who has devoted decades to teaching, also lost treasured keepsakes from former students, including a special project where former students had crafted leaves for a memory tree.
Student enrollment, previously close to 400, was drastically reduced as many families faced housing difficulties. Nevertheless, school leaders prioritized reopening. "We knew immediately — we’re opening, we’re coming back in person," Brimecombe stated. "Our biggest fight was to come back to Altadena because we wanted families to know we’re still here."
Throughout these challenges, Ms. Lisa has provided stability and comfort to her students. "These guys … my students," she expressed, "that really makes a huge difference."
As part of the surprise, several students read their personal tributes. One student expressed, "You made learning feel fun and never gave up on me," while another said, "The heart you put into the kids is everything. I want to be a teacher because of you."
The surprise was carefully organized with the help of Greatfull Mail’s Jodie Ford and Hannah Randle, who emphasized the importance of recognizing personal contributions. "The real gift is telling someone what a gift they are to the world," Ford remarked.
For Ms. Lisa, the surprise letters became a symbol of her journey toward rebuilding connections. "This is her getting to restart all of those beautiful messages," Brimecombe noted.
Amid incomparable loss, Ms. Lisa highlighted the significance of community. "We create community around ourselves because without community … we can’t get through."
In a classroom filled with laughter, applause, and expressions of gratitude, the strength of that community was unmistakable.
