Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Anna Rainville (right) teaches fifth graders a Morris dance, an old English-style of dance in which tapping sticks are involved.

Lakeside takes a blue ribbon

State recognizes school as one of the best

By Leigh Ann Maze

There is something special and unique in the way Lakeside Elementary School teaches its students. While the community of mountain residents the school serves has known this for years, the state of California has only just discovered this gem, nestled in the mountains above Los Gatos since 1881.

Fourth-grader Jordan Scott plays a hangman game on the computer during free time.

Photograph by Kathy De La Torre





Lakeside Elementary, the only school in the Lakeside Joint School District, was honored as a California Distinguished Elementary School April 10. It is one of only 24 chosen schools countywide and 233 statewide.

At Lakeside, perhaps it was the small class sizes (20 is the largest and 10 is the smallest), the amount of hands-on learning in the classrooms, the computer lab and the garden, or the Internet connections in every classroom that impressed the state validation team which observed the school and deemed it exemplary.


Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Neal Barnby and Anika Joshi use plastic and paper cups for a class experiment in Addie Robinson's first-grade class.




The 11 classrooms at the school are cluttered with all things large and small to stimulate a child's learning. There are seashells, a rabbit, a five-foot-tall model ship, books, fish, photographs and models and art projects created by the students.

"We strongly believe that a child learns by doing and rote memorization is not a good learning program for kids. For example we do lots of using math, not just learning it," said Lakeside Elementary principal Martin St. John.

The California Distinguished School Program began in 1985 as a way to recognize schools that are models of achievement. The awards are given to elementary and secondary schools in alternate years.

This year, nearly 700 California schools applied, the most ever to apply to the program in its 15-year history.


Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

First-grade teacher Addie Robinson praises Justin Gee for correctly using different sized blocks to count.




Applications are evaluated by local educators under the direction of the California Department of Education. A team from the State is sent to each school to validate each school's claims of excellence before the finalists are chosen in April.

Winners are selected on such criteria as how well they work together with the parents and community, rigorous standards and graduation requirements, visionary leadership, research-based curriculum, learning support services for all students at all levels, modern technology, effective professional development and an overall safe, clean and healthy learning environment.


Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

First-grader Cici Bray shows her counting blocks to her teacher Addie Robinson. At left is Samuel Gonzalez.




St. Martin credits the parent and community involvement that so many Los Gatos Schools enjoy for their Distinguished School awards.

Representatives from Lakeside will travel to the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 5, to be recognized at the California Distinguished School Awards ceremony. They will each be presented a plaque and a special flag by the State Superintendent and the President of the State Board of Education to fly proudly above their school.

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