Schools await honors to be announced

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Four elementary schools eagerly await today’s

announcement of the California Distinguished School Awards.

Principals were expecting to hear the news Friday, but received a memo

from the state pushing the much anticipated announcement date up to

today.

“We can hardly wait,” said Daryle Palmer, principal of Kaiser Elementary

School, one of four schools in Newport-Mesa nominated for the honor. “We

want to hear and we want it to be done.”

Harbor View, Kaiser, Killybrooke and Victoria elementary schools were

nominated and officials anxiously await the state’s decision.

The California Distinguished School Award is one of the top honors

bestowed on schools in California. It is Part of the School Recognition

Program, which was created in 1985.Being recognized as a distinguished

school is the criteria for becoming a National Blue Ribbon School, the

highest honor bestowed on a school by the federal government.

After the school sites were visited for final evaluation in March, Supt.

Robert Barbot said he heard nothing but rave reviews from state

recognition program representatives.

“We are absolutely elated,” said Karen Kendall, principal of Harbor View.

“No matter when the word comes in we will be thrilled -- we had a very

positive visitation.”

On May 5, all the recipients of the award will attend a banquet at the

Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, where they will receive a flag that will

mark theirs as a distinguished school.

Schools have been invited to submit tapes of school performances, which

will be judged and winners chosen to perform at the ceremonies.

As if students and staff were not already on the edge of their seats,

several have now submitted tapes and will await that answer.

“If we receive the actual recognition, which we are feeling very positive

about, then we submitted a tape of our school,” Palmer said. “So we are

very excited about that.”

While no one feels they are a shoo-in, the school communities are

excited. Harbor View staff and students have been celebrating since the

site visit, Kendall said.

“We just feel very validated because it’s a tremendous feeling that we

represent excellence in education,” Kendall said. “But it will be

exciting to finally hear.”