colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky also wrote the people passing by i see friends shaking hands saying, how do you do? i, i love you i hear babies cry and i watch them grow they will learn much more than we will know it and i think to myself what a wonderful world world sunday i wish upon a star with up where the clouds are five behind mare behind me or trouble mislike lemon drops

high above the chimney top that is where you'll find me ♪ >> thank you so much to the cultural procession community. we are glad that we got together yesterday to reverse this. at this time, with like to invite the mayor and the first lady to the stage. [applause] we will ask you to stand center stage. mayor lee. mayor lee, we have a surprise for you. and i'm going to ask you to lead us.

>> ♪ happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday, mayor lee happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ [applause] >> we would like to thank -- ed, please make a wish in blowout the candles -- and blow out the candles. [laughter] [applause]

we would like to thank peter of the california culinary academy, a person here to say a few words about this beautiful cake. >> thank the. mr. mayor, on behalf of the california culinary academy, where like to wish you a happy birthday. this is made and designed by our very own pastry chefs. chefs, please come out. and one of his many students. this cake is totally edible. and we made enough that it will be able to serve 500, if the mayor cuts small little pieces. [laughter] any way, happy birthday. >> thank you very much! wonderful!

>> whoo, happy birthday to mayor ed lee! we have a party in the house! thank you. and we are all going to get to have a piece. thank you. we're going to remove the cake so that it can be cut and you could each have a piece. meanwhile, we will have the finale, and we ask everybody to stand up and dance, ok? we would like to ask the elected officials, the dignitaries,

commissioners, come up to the stage! we're going to ask the mayor to stay on the stage so we can watch him boogie. everyone, come on up. hi, dean, , not. all right, party in the house! come up! ♪ [dance music plays] ♪

♪

[applause] >> great. whoo! ok, , like to ask our cultural

profession folks to gather around the mayor for a group photo. please gather around, thank you. and we need to back up a little bit, thank you. all right. is the mayor a great dancer or what? we need to get him to boogie down at his campaign. a reminder, pick up your ticket, please, as you had upstairs to the green room, at the reception, and i will see you at 7:00 p.m. weeknights on channel 5. have a great time tonight. thank you. enjoy, mental, eat. -- enjoy, mingle, eat.

>> in keeping with the university of san francisco tradition to invite the mayor to speak, we are honored to have in our presence today, the mayor of the city and county of san francisco, the honorable edwin m. lee. mayor lee received his law degree from the university of california-berkeley. for more than 20 years, he has contributed to san francisco in

numerous capacities, including as director of public works and the director of the public rights commission. in january 2007, mayor lee answered the call to complete the remaining year of former mayor gavin newsome. during that time, a groundswell of support in the boisterous campaign, and he was finally persuaded to pursue elected office. in november, he was overwhelmingly elected mayor of san francisco. he is the first asian-american to serve as mayor of san francisco. please join me in welcoming the honorable edwin m. lee. [applause]

mayor lee: thank you. members of the board of trustees, faculty and staff of the university of san francisco, family and friends -- good morning class of 2012. [cheering] thank you for that very kind introduction. also, thank you -- alex, you are valedictorian. something tells me we might see alex later. and perhaps he will be running for office some day. we could lose it -- we could use your leadership in government today. a man of a wonderful sense of

humor never fails to reflect. i'm going to try to avoid controversy today. many of you may not realize, i, too, and quite a comedian. just ask my daughters and my wife. they'll laugh at every single one of my jokes. really. and then there is that entertaining reality tv show i am a part of, that brings to help the -- healthy dose of comedy, sometimes trauma -- drama on a regular basis. it is called city hall. being mayor is a job i love. they have given me the opportunity. it is a privilege to wake up

each morning and work for you, the people of san francisco, and do everything i can to help you succeed and grow in your lives. class of 2012, that is what your date is about. it is growing in your lives for yourselves, your family, and as your mayor, i will selfishly say, for your city. in whatever community you go to from here. i have been thinking lately -- you know, i have done some good things in my generation. here in san francisco, we raised our voices against war, whether the it, or elsewhere -- whether vietnam or elsewhere. we have blazed trails in social justice. so that all of our people --

women, african-americans, asian- americans, gay, lesbian, latino -- but have equal rights. we were the first city in america ought to have universal health care for all residents. when i was not much older than you, when i graduated from bowdoin college, i wanted to raise all little heck to make the world a better place. i work to prevent the eviction of elderly chinese and filipino residents. we sued the san francisco fire department to give women and people of color a chance to be a firefighter. and i think we made a difference. today, the city hired a woman to lead our fire department.

i could never have imagined in my lifetime, the city would -- the country and the city would elect an african-american president or an asian american mayor. we also screwed up a few things along the way, from the economy to the environment and social justice. and now, class of 2012, the challenges and the promise of the world are your challenges and promises. your next assignment -- your homework for the rest of your life -- i can do that because i am mayor -- is to run the ball a little further down the field and get us to a better place. i know, many of you are thinking "mayor, i have got to get a job. i have to repay my student loans. i have to prepare for my

family." yes, you do. i know going out into the world to fend for yourself in this economy is difficult. it is survival of the fittest, like something out of "the hunter games." -- "the hunger games." but you are not on your own. is more like -- it is more like "the avengers." while it may not always be evident and while you may face many challenges throughout your life, always remember you are surrounded by a not so secret society of people who want to help you. these are people in business, and governments, sports, entertainment, health care,

education. people who have achieved some measure of success or wisdom in there own lives. the greatest gift they can ever give is to pass on a little bit of that wisdom to you and help you succeed to an even greater degree. don't get me wrong. you and you alone decide what you were going to do with that education and this opportunity and do not waste it. don't ever be afraid to ask for help. whether it is your boss, your family, your mayor. look to your own communities and ask yourself "how can i give back? how can i use my education to help my community and add to the valuable work within my neighborhood or my city?"

because if there's one thing i see in this economy that is emerging, clean tech and biotech that are adding some new jobs to our city, is that success does not come from going it alone. success comes from collaboration. bringing diverse backgrounds together to a common goal. new companies, out incubators in the market. they do not offices. they have a big open tables. they have whiteboards everywhere. the building is built around the notion of collaboration, the idea that success comes from sharing ideas and goals. because that is how we get innovation. that is how you, class of 2012,

will lead the world a better place and fix things my generation did not quite get to. that is not just innovation in technology and our economy, but innovative approaches in the health field, curing diseases, cleaning the air and water, and dealing with social justice. there is no better start than here. we are the gateway to the pacific rim and asia. to the west, the booming economies of latin america and brazil. we are the international destination are rhumba world -- around the world. you, class of 2012, are part of what makes san francisco brand. you represent new ideas, new frontiers, new beginnings.

that innovation is perfected in your university's new marketing campaign. "change the world from here." some of them definitely make you smile. academics covering the world from north beach? funny. the one that struck me the most -- "there is no moral compass app." so, i say to you as well, don't lose yourself and your values. don't forget where you came from, even amid the success you may achieve. some of you know the chinese zodiac for 2012 is the year of the dragon.

dragon is the only mythical animal in the chinese zodiac and the most powerful. the year of the dragon is fittingly a time for risk- taking, bold decision, and innovation. class of 2012, san francisco and the world need your risk-taking. sees the year of the dragon for yourselves, your families, for the rest of us. -- seize the year of the dragon. you are graduating at a time of immense promise. i know i am a little biased, but there is no better place to spend the rest of your lives. we are so proud to you. we are counting on you and we are here to help you realize your greatest objectives. thank you and congratulations, class of 2012. [applause]

>> tonight, we paid for the two teachers, especially those in san francisco public schools who have made san francisco the top- performing urban school district in california. each day, thousands of teachers provide children with the skills to be successful in life, including learning how to analyze problems, appreciate the arts, and become active in sports. we all know how important teachers are. that is why the giants continue to participate in the annual thank a teacher today campaign,

a month-long celebration of san francisco public school teachers. it happens each may and is a program of the san francisco education fund, the oldest nonprofit dedicated to supporting san francisco public schools. and now, let's give a warm welcome to mayor ed lee, sanders is a unified school district incoming superintendent, and the teacher of the month award winners who are joining us today. mr. mayor. >> thank you. you are such a leader in our community. and thank you to the san francisco giants and all of you for supporting our teachers in san francisco. i want to thank the incoming superintendent. school board member hydra mendoza. the san francisco education fund. and all of our amazing sponsors for joining me tonight to honor

the mayor's teacher of the month award winners. it is my pleasure to a knowledge and honor the dedication of our superb public school teachers in san francisco. the 10 teachers being honored here tonight are standing behind me and were nominated by parents, students, peers, and community members to understand the value of an excellent teacher. the 10 teachers standing here have exceeded all standards. they have dedicated themselves to creating a classroom environment that fosters learning, diversity, and character development. these teachers are shaping this generation of youth into leaders who will create a better world. they have one of the most important jobs in america and this award is our symbol of our immense gratitude for all of their tireless work. in collaboration with the san

francisco education fund, thank a teacher campaign, it is my privilege to present this month's -- this year's teacher of the month award winners. [applause] >> thank you, mayor lee. good evening, giants fans. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we are so proud to be standing here with our all-star lineup. some of the finest teachers in san francisco. can you give them a big, rousing round of applause? [applause] the educators you see here this evening touched thousands of lives every single day.

they make it possible for san francisco to continue to be one of the most educated cities in the united states. we are proud to have them here this evening. we would like to thank mayor lee. we would like to thank our friends with the fund and also the san francisco giants for allowing us to show you our all- star team this evening. we also want to thank each and everyone of you for trusting your children to us every single day. i can tell you with complete confidence that they are in very, very good hands. thank you on behalf of the 56,000 students in san francisco. thank you and congratulations to our all-star team, our teachers. >> thank you so much. how about a big round of applause as we celebrate our teachers tonight? [applause]