COMMUNITY NEWS SCHOOLS GIVEN SPORTING GEAR, GRANTS.

More than a dozen local schools were honored for their participation in the recent Kids Fitness Challenge at the Rose Bowl. U.S. Olympic gold medal runner Quincy Watts handed out the awards.

Porter Middle Schoolin Granada Hills, Mount Gleason Middle School in Sunland, Strathern Street Elementary in North Hollywood and Grant High in Valley Village won awards from Chick's Sporting Goods.

The top school from each participating school district also won the Gas Co.'s Governor's Award. Strathern Street Elementary won for the Los Angles Unified School District; R.D. White Elementary won for Glendale Unified District; and St. Catherine of Siena in Reseda was the top private school.

The Chick's and Gas Company Governor's award winners got athletic equipment donations, and each school that had more than 65 participants received grants. The Daily News was among the event's co-sponsors.

A dozen local educators received fellowships from the Fund for Teachers, allowing them to pursue professional development opportunities this summer. The winners include: Donna Hill and Brian Jacobs of Cleveland High School in Reseda got a $7,500 grant to study South African culture. Jennilyn Bingham of Taft High School in Woodland Hills and Sheryl Coulon of John Adams Middle School in Los Angeles also got $7,500 to join a 30-day hike along an ancient pilgrimage route in Northern Spain. Wendy Driscoll of Osceola Elementary School in Sylmar got $4,000 to gather information about endangered species at Denali National Park in Alaska.

The trust selects recipients based on how the proposed summer activity will make the nominee a better teacher.

The Moorpark College student government board of directors donated $20,000 to the campus, which will use the money for an electronic campus information system.