FRESH START; ACTON OPENS SCHOOL FOR YOUNGEST KIDS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

About 530 students, parents and staff celebrated the opening of the $6.2 million Meadowlark School on Monday with flag-raising and ribbon-cutting ceremonies in front of the main entrance.

The new school, which will serve kindergarten through second grade, is the community's first new elementary school beyond the original Acton Elementary School, where the oldest building dates to 1938.

``I'm very excited. This is the first new school in a long time,'' said Principal Margaret Gonder, who presided over the opening day ceremonies as parents snapped pictures and videotaped the occasion.

Before Meadowlark was built, Acton Elementary School held kindergarten through sixth grade. The enrollment was 900 in a school built for 500.

Now Acton has third through sixth grades, with about 500 pupils, giving Meadowlark 530 students, Gonder said.

``We're excited about that, too. We are able to focus our work on early childhood learning,'' Gonder said.

The district's last new school was a junior high, High Desert School, which moved onto its present campus in 1991. Vasquez High School opened in 1993 on the High Desert grounds.

Vince Loporchio, 40, of Acton videotaped the grand opening ceremony. His 6-year-old son, Nicholas, is attending the first grade after going to the Acton school for kindergarten.

``I like it because it's nice. It's clean, there's no graffiti, no anything,'' Loporchio said. ``(My son) wants to ride the bus. He gets to talk to all the different kids. I'm looking forward to him going to school.''

Loporchio was there with his wife, Donna, and preschool-age daughter, Rachel.

``I think it's pretty good because it's a new school,'' Nicholas said. ``I like schoolwork.''

Students at Meadowlark started three days later than other students in the district because the school was not ready to open.

School trustees felt it was better to start the children at the new school rather than at Acton and avoid transferring them a few days later, Gonder said.

The new school features a spacious stage in the multipurpose room that will be used for performances by children and outside artists. ``We have a music program where artists come in to perform for students,'' Gonder said.

Gonder added that the kindergarten rooms are designed for early childhood education, with reading areas on rugs and spaces for painting and use of manipulative materials, such as counting teddy bears for a math lesson.

Acton resident Jeri Arrieta, 32, has one of her six children at the new school - 5-year-old Jesse, who is in the first grade.

``I think it's beautiful, It will be a nice change, It won't be as crowded. It will have large classrooms,'' said Arrieta, who brought her 1- and 2-year-old daughters along to the school opening.

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4 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Meadowlark School Principal Margaret Gonder, left, helps second-grader Katrice Lassere, 7, cut the ribbon at the school's grand opening Monday in Acton.

(2--Color) Blake Wein, 6, leads the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance while his first-grade teacher, Wendy Nisteros, holds the microphone for him.

(3--Color) (Ran in AV Edition only) Young pupils take their first look at Meadowlark School, which opened Monday.

(4) (Ran in AV Edition only) Kindergartners and first- and second-graders line up for their first day at the brand-new Meadowlark School in Acton on Monday.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News