Encinal and Las Lomitas elementary schools in Atherton and Ormondale Elementary in Portola Valley are among the 377 elementary schools that won Distinguished School awards for 2005 from the California Department of Education. Oak Knoll Elementary in Menlo Park won honorable mention.
The California School Recognition Program chose the schools from among 998 that applied for the award. The winners are recognized at an awards ceremony and dinner on May 26 in Anaheim.
Middle and high schools will compete for the honors next year.
The program, created in 1985, is meant to “publicize and reinforce the priorities of the state Board of Education and the state Superintendent of Public Instruction,” said Lyn Strickland, program coordinator for San Mateo County. The program “identifies and honors some of the state’s most inspiring public schools that illustrate and exemplify those priorities.”
Schools that choose to apply undertake a rigorous self-evaluation, prepare a detailed report for the state, then host a state-and-county evaluation team that checks the accuracy of the school’s opinion of itself. The teams determine which schools win awards.
The program’s ordeal-like nature is one reason not every school applies, said Mary Gomes, a Sacramento-based consultant to the program.
Awarded schools may reapply every four years. This is the fourth award for both Las Lomitas and Ormondale and the second for Encinal.
Local schools are not without advantages. Along with funding and academic prowess, they enjoy the participation of involved and educated parents. With the hardest work being writing the application, how tough could winning be for schools like these?
“There is nothing automatic for a school when it reapplies for an award,” said Ms. Gomes.
The criteria keep up with advances in education research, she said, noting that schools that follow new research often have a better chance to win awards. One new focus this year is how well the school is doing with students whose standardized test scores are average or below, including underachievers and students whose first language is not English.
Asked about the importance of school funding and the award potential for poorer schools, Ms. Gomes replied: “Money is an important aspect, but it’s how the schools use their money that’s a defining aspect instead of how much they have.”
Las Lomitas
“We have great staff, we have great parents, and we have great kids,” said Assistant Principal Sue Sartor, a 17-year veteran at Las Lomitas School, in explaining why the school won the award. “You kind of bring in the best of the best to work together. It makes for just that right combination.”Asked if the visit to the K-3 school in Atherton by the evaluation team caused jitters, Ms. Sartor called it “a very positive experience.” But nerves were occasionally on edge, she said, in submitting the application, which took a month to write and involved a team of 28, including staff, parents and trustees.
“You really had to score almost perfect on every single question to make the cut,” she said.
What if they hadn’t won? “It’s really a useful tool for us. … I think it’s healthy for a school to take a thorough broad-based look at itself every so often and show itself to the community.”
Encinal School
Encinal’s recognition confirms what teachers, students and parents have known about this grade 3-5 school, part of the Menlo Park City School District and located in Atherton.Principal Stacy Marshall, who is in her third year at Encinal, and her team developed a winner that earned a maximum score of 8.0.
Encinal has 375 students, 18 classroom teachers and four specialists.
The application included input from the staff, a large group of parents and the student council. The team of Chris Arrington, Susan Blanco, Lois Nissman, Raymond Chrisman and Ms. Marshall wrote the application.
Encinal’s “Character Counts” program received special recognition. The program stresses values such as respect, responsibility, caring, trustworthiness and citizenship, not only in classrooms but throughout the campus.
The annual “Community Read” event — when students, staff members and Encinal families read and then discuss the same book in classes and during family night — also interested the team.
Among the reviewers’ comments:
• There is clear evidence that students have access to a rigorous, balanced, (state) standards-aligned curriculum in all subjects, enhanced by field trips and other learning activities.
• The professional development program available to all staff members has had a positive impact on student achievement. The staff has a huge investment in governance, the hiring of teachers and supporting each other’s work.
“Parents have been empowered to make important contributions to the education of their children.”
Ormondale School
“Ormondale is truly a California Distinguished School,” the state review team wrote after its recent visit to the K-3 school in the Portola Valley district.From the minute reviewers set foot on the campus, they said, they “could feel the community spirit that makes Ormondale such a wonderful place to work and learn.”
One of the first things they saw when entering the school office is colorful student artwork and the Ormondale Constitution, signed by students. It is seen as a symbol of the students’ commitment to the school and each other, said Principal Eva Gal.
Lessons for the 312 students at the school are creative and engaging, and the staff is professional, dedicated and hard working, the reviewers said.
“Combined with high expectations and standards-based academics, the students see learning as fun,” noted the reviewers.
Several of Ormondale’s programs were cited, such as “Safety Net,” which offers early intervention to help children succeed in school. The school’s character education program, “PRIDE,” teaches conflict-resolution skills and, as the children say, how to make friends and how to treat your friends.
The school library, located in the center of the campus, was described by the team as “a hub of literacy and a welcoming place to visit and learn.” Next door is the computer lab with a specialist in technology integration.
Parents are seen as partners, and they contribute significantly to the success of Ormondale, said the reviewers.
Marjorie Mader contributed to this report.
