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State superintendent applauds local schools
The California Distinguished School recognition is awarded to schools that have been deemed the "best of the best," A.E. Wright Principal Kimmarie Taylor said. Lindero Canyon and Alice C. Stelle middle schools also earned the honor this year, as did Calabasas High School. "We had to meet stringent criteria in focused areas and demonstrate our level of success in our extensive written application as well as during our site validation from the California Department of Education panel," Taylor said. Fewer than 5 percent of public schools in the state receive the citation, which is valid for four years. This is the third consecutive award for A.E. Wright. O'Connell stopped by Greg Bostrom's seventh-grade science class to see for himself how children are using stateoftheart technology in the classroom. Bostrom's use of technology to teach science has been a model for other schools and districts. Students can watch video clips of an actual beating heart projected on an overhead screen; a subwoofer speaker system allows them to feel the heart's vibration. They can also watch surgeries being performed, including heart transplants and hip surgeries, and download projects from NASA's website. "Although (O'Connell's) visit was brief, it was a tremendous honor to have such a grand dignitary observe my class," Bostrom said. One of Bostrom's students, Cierra Glazer, said O'Connell "wanted to see why A.E. Wright is so great." To be invited to apply for the Distinguished School honor, schools must meet a variety of eligibility criteria, including federal and state accountability measures, according to a report from the state department. For the 2009 cycle, eligible middle and high schools participated. Schools were selected based on their applications, which included comprehensive overviews of two of each school's successful practices. The applications were then reviewed by state officials, and site visits validated the information. Eligible high schools also applied for special honors in career technical education, which reflects O'Connell's support for preparing students for the work force. "Stepping into three classrooms unannounced, Superintendent O'Connell was interested in what the kids were learning, hearing the teachers' perspectives, and (he) genuinely cared about our school's goals," said Mathy Wasserman, co-president of A.E. Wright's parent faculty club. "While the school only found out he was coming the afternoon before the morning visit, A.E. Wright was able to show how it is a wonderful learning community." O'Connell's visit was celebrated by administrators, teachers and families, including principals Ron Kaiser (Lindero), Mary Sistrunk (A.C. Stelle) and C.J. Foss (Calabasas High.) District officials also met with O'Connell. "We are always honored when the state superintendent of schools visits our district," said Las Virgenes Unified School District Superintendent Donald Zimring. "Superintendent O'Connell is a frequent visitor and a tremendous supporter of our programs and initiatives." Distinguished schools received a plaque and flag at an awards ceremony in April. The event and awards were funded by donations from corporations and education organizations in California. "The collaboration and innovation that we pursue allows us to extend our reach with student goals," Taylor said. The distinguished designation demonstrates that schools are narrowing the achievement gap by providing outstanding programs, she said. For Bostrom, O'Connell's visit validates his belief that teachers and administrators "make magical moments happen every day at A.E. Wright." "If we didn't, we would just be an ordinary middle school," he said. |
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