Alternative elementary school to be renamed

The Las Virgenes Community Learning Center will change its name in the fall to Mariposa Elementary School of Global Education, said school coordinator Jeff Lough.

The school started in Calabasas at A.E. Wright Middle School but moved to Sumac Elementary in Agoura Hills in September.

At the Dec. 9 Las Virgenes board of education meeting, Lough said it had always been the intent of the school to find a new school name. The inspiration for the name came during a school hike. A fourthgrade student noticed the mariposa lily and apparently was so awed by its beauty that he encouraged his classmates and teacher to take a gander. "The idea for a new school name was born," Lough said.

The parentfaculty association, students, teachers and administrators voted in favor of the name change to Mariposa, which conforms to the district's theme of naming elementary schools after native flora or fauna, Lough said, adding that the mariposa also connects students with the nature focus fostered at the school.

"The pillar of the LVCLC is outdoor education and emphasizing the importance of our children's relationship with nature," Lough wrote to Rose Dunn, director of elementary education.

Also, "mariposa" is Spanish for "butterfly." The school prides itself on being the only elementary school in the district to offer Spanish in all grade levels four days per week. Lough said the school's mascot will be the Monarch Butterfly.

Lough also hopes the name change will help with the school's ability to raise funds. "As a small school it has proven difficult to raise enough funding to meet our annual budget requirements," he wrote to Dunn. "Knowing that the LVCLC is not the permanent name of the school, the desire to design logos and apparel is unmotivating," he said in the letter.

The school's current name has led to many misunderstandings. Considered an alternative school, some parents believe the school was designed to meet the needs of special education students or students with behavior problems. Others questioned whether the "learning center" was a tutoring center.

Neither is true, Lough said. "Currently we have 10 percent of students with special needs, which is on par with the average 10-12 percent at all of our other elementary schools," he said.

As for including "global education" in the name change, Lough said learning about the world is integral to the school's program. This year, students are studying Central America, and in January they will start a new unit on South America. Projects range from learning about animals in the forest in kindergarten to "understanding how landforms impact the culture" for fourth- and fifth-grade students, he said.

Besides a focus on global education and the environment, the school offers developmental, projectbased "experiential" learning, Lough said. Arts and movement are integrated with Waldorf methodologies, which are considered freeform and hands-on learning. Parent participation is required, and the socialemotional development of students is as important as the academics.

Superintendent Donald Zimring insisted that the name change include the word "elementary," to avoid any more ambiguity.

Lough agreed, but he told board members that he still intended to "grow" the program past the sixth grade.

"I'm beyond impressed with how far this program has gone," Zimring said.

Board member Jill Gaines said she thought the old name was too "technical."

Board member Terilyn Finders said, "I love that the school is not just thinking about a name but its identity."

Board President Gordon Whitehead called the name Mariposa "poetic."

Lough said that while "the school has evolved in some new ways from its original form, the school would not be here without last year's hard work and dedication by Brenda and Itamar Harari and the founding families."

A parent information meeting and tour is scheduled for Jan. 29 at 9:30 a.m. For more information, call Lough at (818) 707-7144.