WEST VALLEY RECEIVES L.A. EDUCATION AWARD.

Byline: SIMONE SCHRAMM Community columnist

The West Valley School in Van Nuys hosted the West Valley Celebration of Excellence Family Fun Night last week in honor of the campus' many accomplishments and to celebrate the coming school year.

The event featured food, music, dancing, games for the children and other fun activities.

The school was one of three in the Los Angeles Unified School District to receive a Los Angeles Educational Partnership Excellence Award, which included a $10,000 prize.

``The reason is due to their (the students) academic achievements and our community involvement as well as parent involvement in their educational programs'' said Joyce Sellers, principal.

Other awards included first place in the District C Beautification Project and numerous recognitions from the State of California, superintendents of the LAUSD and Mayor James Hahn.

The Beautification Project involved gardening, where students grow fruits and vegetables for science projects. Students even built a pond stocked with fish.

``The whole process was studying ponds and the whole ecological process,'' Sellers said. ``It's very cute.''

The main purpose of the event was to award students the LAEP certificates as it was the official presentation of those awards.

The West Valley School currently educates about 200 severely handicapped children and strives to give those students an excellent education.

Former Pierce College Tennis Coach Paul Xanthos was honored Friday at the United States Professional Tennis Association's 2002 World Conference with a George Basco Lifetime Achievement Award.

This achievement is one of the USPTA's most prestigious honors as it recognizes people who demonstrate outstanding service to the organization by raising the standards of teaching tennis and increasing overall awareness to the sport.

Xanthos was recognized for 32 years of service. His career included a 500-to-94 winning record during his 28-year stint as Pierce College tennis coach. During his tenure, Xanthos' teams won 16 out of the 23 conference championships they entered. His teams experienced streaks of 96, 50, 37 and 27 consecutive wins.

``We're honored to present Paul Xanthos with the George Basco Lifetime Achievement Award,'' said Tim Heckler, CEO of USPTA.

Robert Ishii, a teacher at Danube Avenue Elementary School in Granada Hills, was selected from more than 2,100 applicants nationwide to participate in the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program in November, when he will travel to Japan to promote greater intercultural understanding between the United States and Japan.

The program is sponsored by the Japanese government and is contracted through the Institute of International Education. The program was launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program. So far the program has allowed more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the United States on Fulbright fellowships for education and research.

To draw attention to lifesaving federal cancer legislation, five San Fernando Valley residents participated in the Society's Celebration on the Hill in Washington, D.C.

Larry Painter, Lorraine Jackson, Marvin Feldman, Joy Claussen and Ann Stangl were among more than 3,000 people nationwide to meet with members of congress to demand stronger cancer legislation and funding.

All participants have been touched by cancer in some way. Painter, Claussen and Jackson survived breast cancer, Stangl's children had brain tumors and one died of the disease and 13 members of Feldman's family died of cancer.

The focus was on key issues such as increased funding for vital federal cancer research and prevention initiatives, expanded access to cancer care, prevention and early detection programs, initiatives to reduce health disparities and legislation to prevent suffering from tobacco-related illnesses.

Marianne Marsh of Sylmar, who teaches language arts for the hearing- impaired at Marlton Charter School in Los Angeles, is a semifinalist for Disney's American Teacher Award for 2002.

The Walt Disney Company will award $10,000 to each honoree, $5,000 to the schools. The 10 category finalists will receive an additional $5,000. The Outstanding Teacher of the Year will receive $25,000 with $10,000 going to that teacher's school.