The La Cañada Unified School District has selected Carrie Saks as La Cañada High School 7-12 athletic director for the 2020-21 school year, and the hiring was approved last week by the district’s Governing Board, the school said in a statement.
Saks, who will assume the position at LCHS in late summer of 2020, has five years of experience teaching in public education. She started her career in the Westminster and Santa Monica/Malibu school districts and transitioned to LCUSD in 2014-15. Saks taught reading intervention at La Cañada Elementary School, and then joined the boys and girls volleyball coaching staff at LCHS 7/8 that same year. Her service and dedication to the district was honored in 2017 when Saks received the LCHS 7/8 PTA Founders’ Day Award. In 2016, she took on the role of LCHS 7/8 athletic director.
As part of her new position, Saks will oversee athletics for the entire campus, grades 7-12.
“I am really looking forward to expanding my role at LCHS and am excited to continue building a positive atmosphere within our 7-12 athletic programs,” she said in a statement. “Go Spartans!”
LCHS Principal Jim Cartnal shared his support of the new athletic director: “Carrie brings great enthusiasm to this position, will help further Spartan spirit on campus, and I am looking forward to her excellent service to our campus.”
Said Assistant Principal Kristina Kalb, who previously served as LCHS athletic director: “Carrie’s experience as a successful student-athlete, coach and 7/8 A.D. have prepared her for this role. LC is fortunate to bring on board a staff member committed to the principles of the Positive Coaching Alliance, the LC Spartan Spirit and our Climate of Care. I look forward to working with her in this capacity.”
Saks earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UC Santa Barbara, and received her teaching credential from Cal State Long Beach. Carrie has two children — Cade, an LCHS senior, and Peyton, an LCHS sophomore.
