Schools nab state honor

Andrew Edwards

Students and educators at four Huntington Beach schools can take

their place among the state’s elite.

The state Department of Education announced that Peterson, Village

View, College View and Westmont elementary schools earned the right

to be called California Distinguished Schools.

At Peterson and Westmont, the announcement marked the first time

either school had won. Westmont had applied twice before, but this

year the school rose above the Honorable Mention category,

recognition Principal Bonnie Carda-Lytle described as “long overdue.”

“We’re finally there and it’s delightful,” she said.

The Peterson campus was re-opened seven years ago with Principal

Dareen Yonts at the helm. Yonts credited the school’s math and

science programs, teachers, volunteers and business sponsors for

helping the Dolphins rebuild their classes and win the award.

“We didn’t get this all in one year,” she said.

State officials selected 302 schools for the designation, about

one-third of the state’s schools that applied for the honor.

To apply, schools had to achieve Academic Performance Index scores

meeting California targets and fulfill federal requirements that

students show improvement in English and math.

To reach these goals, everyone at the school has to exert

themselves, College View Principal Susan Kemp said.

“If you’re not working together as teachers, students and parents,

you’re not going to make this award,” she said.

At Village View School, Principal Anna Dreifus announced the

school’s victory during the Jog-a-Thon by playing the song

“Celebrate” over the loudspeaker.

Dreifus said parental involvement was key to helping Village View

win the award. Many of those parents helped out at the Jog-a-Thon.

“We had more help than we could use. Isn’t that a wonderful

problem to have?” she asked.

For districts serving elementary school children in Surf City, the

awards provided yet another notch in the chalkboard as only a few

elementary schools in Huntington Beach have yet to earn the award.

In the Huntington Beach City School District, nine out of 10

schools have earned the honor.

In the Ocean View School District, 13 of the district’s 15 schools

have won.

Schools have been honored across the Ocean View district, Supt. of

Curriculum and Instruction Karen Colby said because educators share

resources and skills from campus to campus.

“What you find at one school, you find at the other school,” she

said.