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Castaic Teacher Recovering From Illness To Get Help From Co-Workers

A Castaic Middle School teacher is receiving a lesson in paying it forward while recovering from a kidney transplant, grateful for the support of family members and his “second family,” he said Thursday.


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The latter is how Ro Osano, 54, identifies with his co-workers at the Castaic Union School District.

Osano also loves his job teaching in the 2,565-student, kindergarten-to-eighth-grade school district, clearly, and since he was diagnosed with kidney failure about two and a half years ago, both families have really come through for him, he said.Ro Osano recovers after his kidney transplant in June

“Castaic (Union) is such a small district and everybody knows each other, and we’re all a  family,” Osano said. “From day one at Castaic, I just always felt that we’re a family.”

His sister, Rhoda Tolosa, definitely made the biggest contribution in June, donating her kidney to Osano.

“She’s a great person,” Osano said, “and I love her to death, and her kids are so great.”

But the surgery requires about three months of recovery time for Osano’s immune system, he said.

He’s expected to return to the classroom Sept. 29; however, Osano only had enough sick time left to cover August, due to the fact that he’s been ill, and he’s donated time to help others in the past.

After finding out how much time he would need for his recovery, Osano requested assistance from his second family, through the school district’s Catastrophic Leave program.

Catastrophic Leave is a policy allowing a teacher to request the donation of unused sick days from their fellow teachers.

If a teacher is interested, he or she can donate a (combined) maximum of 60 days, which is in accordance with state and federal law, said Wendy Mullins, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Castaic Union School District.

The district approves such requests to use the policy on a case-by-case basis, according to district officials.

After the board approved the motion, an email went out notifying district teachers and staff of the request.

And the response was immediate.

“I had people submitting donations literally within hours of me sending out the email,” Mullins said. We’ve already received a number of donations.”

Osano is allowed to use those sick days, which will allow him to receive income during his doctor-ordered respite.

News of his co-workers’ willingness to help is hardly surprising to those who work with Osano, including Castaic Middle School Principal Bob Brauneisen, who praised Osano’s fortitude and effort as he tried to work through his sickness last year.

“Everyone in this district is aware of his strong contribution to the CMStv program,” Brauneisen said.

Every year, the students of the school’s TV production class, CMStv, work toward the opportunity to compete with the skills they’ve learned at the annual Student Television Network conference at the end of the year, Brauneisen said.

Related: Castaic Middle School Wins Top Award At Student Television Convention

Osano's family members, including his sister (far right), visit him at the hospital Osano helped pioneer the middle school’s broadcast program, CMStv, which includes a 10-15 minute weekly news program modeled after CBS’s iconic news series, “60 Minutes.”

Student producers are responsible for pitching their stories, videotaping, and all post-production work. Once complete, segments broadcast schoolwide.

Osano’s leadership is a big part of the school’s regular success at the conference, he said, commending Osano’s sacrifices to make that possible.

“He works with these kids on the weekends and after school,” he said, “and (Osano) runs fundraising events so these kids can afford to go.”

In fact, Osano was undergoing dialysis during the last conference, so in between his time commitments to the children, he made arrangements with a local hospital for his treatments so he would miss as little time as possible.

“Regardless of his health, he sacrifices to fulfill their dreams of competing in and doing well at (the conference),” Brauneisen said.

Osano’s health is improving, and he’s been doing his best to help his temporary replacement with lesson plans in his absence.

He’s also, per his doctor’s orders, trying to exercise more to build up his immune system but, at the same time, trying to take it easier. His parents also are helping him recover, he said.

His latest ailment is “cabin fever,” he joked, referring to his eagerness to get back to the classroom.

“I’ve been told to slow down,” Osano said, mentioning an extensive medicinal regimen he must abide by while teaching.

“It’s just such a fun age to teach to,” he said. “Middle school is just a great age, and I think the kids are a lot of fun.”


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Castaic Teacher Recovering From Illness To Get Help From Co-Workers

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.