SCHOLASTIC SUCCESS STORY; WESTLAKE SITE DRAWS PRAISE FOR CREATIVITY.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Although the school day may be done at Westlake Hills Elementary School, that doesn't necessarily mean its students all go home.

A long list of after-school classes keep them on campus well after the final school bell rings - some staying to perfect their Spanish, others working on monologues for drama class, and still others singing in the chorus.

The school was one of two Ventura County campuses to be named a finalist for a National Blue Ribbon Award this year, primarily for its attention not only to academics but on developing students' artistic talents.

``It's a loving atmosphere on campus,'' said Principal Rachelle Morga. ``Everyone hugs, there are smiles everywhere. When you have a kind of commitment, and people who value education, everyone will do everything they can to make students the best they can be. That's what makes a school run, when parents, teachers and students buy into education.''

Nestled in the hills of the Conejo Valley, Westlake Hills is a school where second-graders grab a broom to sweep around classrooms, helping the custodian with his work and receiving a smile and soda as payment.

And where students put themselves on a waiting list to help the lunch ladies prepare and dole out food everyday, in return for a free lunch, because it's fun.

``That's the spirit of the school,'' said parent Gary Izumo, whose daughter is in fourth grade and son is in second at the school. ``Every teacher our children have had have been outstanding. They have a gift of being able to connect with the kids. They spend hours of their own time in preparation for the day. The sense you get is that it really is a labor of love.''

Westlake Hills and Hollow Hills Fundamental School are among 271 schools expecting a visit from a Blue Ribbon committee from the U.S. Department of Education over the next few months.

They were chosen out of 470 applicants, most of which had won Distinguished School awards from their home states, to move on to the next step before receiving the award.

Joan H. Brown, program management analyst for the Blue Ribbon Schools Program, said the committee has to verify the information the schools submit, scoring them on their ability to show compliance with the criteria set forth for the award.

The criteria includes creative teaching and active learning; school, family and community partnerships; and student support.

Brown said she's visited Blue Ribbon schools across the country, and has noticed that they have at least one thing in common - everyone on campus is innovative and committed in their desire for the children to learn.

``There's an excitement about learning,'' Brown said. ``There's a lot of parental involvement and active learning going on.''

Westlake Hills certainly seems to have parental involvement.

Officials said that in addition to running several of the after-school programs, parents volunteer in classrooms, the library and in the computer lab. Morga said that 75 percent of parents spent more than 12,000 hours of volunteer time last year.

``We have a great community that has chosen to work within the public school system and try to make this a really good school,'' Izumo said.

In addition to academic excellence - the school has ranked in the 80th percentile in the Stanford Achievement Test every year since 1994 - the school also ensures that the students are given a curriculum that nurtures their creativity.

Morga said one of the reasons she believes the school caught the eye of the Blue Ribbon judges was the implementation of a fine arts program last October that instructs teachers how to provide art lessons in their classrooms.

Patricia Robinson, who runs the art program countywide, said the after-school fine arts programs the school already offers provided a good base for the introduction of her lessons - which include painting by classical music.

``It's going like a bomb at the school,'' Robinson said of the program's success at Westlake Hills. ``They're doing so much already, music and drama. They're really packed with they arts, which is, of course, excellent. It makes the school itself a very good, all-around institute for the arts.''

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PHOTO (Color) Rachelle Morga, top right, principal of Westlake Hills Elementary School, says the Conejo Valley site has a loving atmosphere.

Tina Gerson/Daily News