School Celebrates Blue-Ribbon Status

The 704 children of Westlake Hills Elementary stepped outside their classes Tuesday to join a celebration honoring their school as a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon institution.

Westlake Hills, at 3333 Medicine Bow Court, was one of 17 elementary schools in California and 266 in the United States to be recognized for academic scores, parent volunteering, and teacher and community support.

Jeff Rapoport, a sixth-grader and student body president, said he wasn’t surprised the school was honored.

“The teachers and the staff really worked hard,” he said. “I think all the students are happy that we all earned this blue ribbon.”

The students’ enthusiasm for the school was clearly demonstrated when Craig Leidersdorf, president of the school site council, asked them to raise their hands if they liked going to school. Every hand shot into the air.

“I think that, more than anything else, that’s why we won this award and that’s why this is a great place to go to school,” Leidersdorf said.

This is the second time a school in the Conejo Valley Unified School District has received the honor. Meadows Elementary School in Thousand Oaks won the award in 1997.

Last year, Westlake Hills was named a California Distinguished School.