DISTINGUISHED SCHOOL AWARD ALL ABOUT TEAMWORK.

Byline: Terry Johnson Special to the Daily News

Cooperation among students, faculty and the community brought Stevenson Ranch Elementary School one of the state education system's highest honors in less than three years.

Stevenson Ranch officially became one of six new California Distinguished Schools in the greater Los Angeles area Thursday with the raising of the blue-and-white flag in a ceremony on campus that included a musical performance by the 1,125 students, and commendations from city and government officials.

Since the groundbreaking in early 1994, the school has been on the fast track to success, thanks to the integrated efforts of the school and community members, who have worked toward a common goal since Day One.

``From dirt to distinguished in 4-1/2 years is pretty amazing,'' said Jesse Fleece, a sixth-grader and student body president. ``Some schools might have wanted to coast that first year, but not this school. In our first year, we had all the programs in place that other schools that had been open for several years had.''

``It seemed only natural that from our hilltop location we would reach for the sky,'' said Principal Diane von Buelow. ``The students, faculty and parents of this school have done that with love, dedication, perseverance and hard work. They have turned this into a school, turned the school into a community and turned the community into a family.''

In only its third year of existence, Stevenson Ranch was recently named one of 211 distinguished schools out of more than 5,000 candidates statewide. Schools are so honored on the basis of high scores on standardized tests, unique and successful teaching methods, and overall achievement.

``Distinguished schools are marked by excellence,'' said Marc Winger, superintendent of the Newhall School District. ``Other schools take years to get this kind of award. It's tremendous achievement for Stevenson Ranch to become a distinguished school in less than three years.

``Stevenson Ranch has been greatly challenged in its three years of existence, and there will continue to be challenges. The spirit that has been demonstrated here has earned this award. This spirit will see us through future challenges.''

Winger said to receive this honor, schools must prove themselves to Los Angeles County and state education officials in a number of ways. Once county officials make their recommendation, state officials visit the school to interview faculty members, parents and students before the honor is bestowed.

``You need great leadership, from the principal down through the teachers and parents,'' Winger said. ``You need strong academics, great teachers, demonstrating the use of technology in the classroom, active participation of parents and the community, and a safe and clean environment.

``These kids and teachers have proved their skills. I knew when I walked away after the team from the state had visited that this school had won the award.''

Commendations were read from state Sen. William J. ``Pete'' Knight, 17th Senate District, and county Supervisor Michael Antonovich, 5th District, saluting the school for its dedication to excellence and ability to build a strong scholastic program in a relatively short time.

``On Sept. 7, 1995, the process of educating children began and something magical began to happen at this school,'' said Ron Winkler, president of the Newhall school board. ``Students at every grade level began to flourish on the principle that the school must be accountable to every child every day.''

Parents acknowledged von Buelow's leadership and inspiration, and her ability to focus the efforts of the various groups in the same direction.

``Mrs. von Buelow's leadership has been exceptional,'' said Marian Miller, founding president of the school's PTA. ``It's been a great experience to watch the community come together and have everyone working toward the same goal. As a parent, it's thrilling to be a part of this. We know our children are getting a wonderful education. We know they're being cared for by a great faculty and staff. The greatest thing in the school is a team.''

Marilyn McMahon, first-grade teacher and veteran of 24 years of teaching, said she remembers the early days of the school when parents like Winkler and the late Richard Rioux ``put together my file cabinets for me as we got ready for the first school year.''

``It's a very exciting moment for me to now be a part of my first distinguished school,'' McMahon said. ``I appreciate all the hard work and dedication put in to get us to this point.''

McMahon acknowledged the contributions of the parents, whose widespread participation as classroom volunteers basically eliminated the need for teachers' aides and allowed those funds to be spent on additional programs for the students.

Other teachers acknowledged the dedication of the faculty and of the students.

``The staff here is definitely pretty special in terms of its commitment to the kids. I've never seen so many teachers make the commitment to helping kids become the best they could be,'' said Anissa Seguin, a third-grade teacher. ``But the kids are the biggest part of it. They put the `distinguished' in California Distinguished School.''