Webster Elementary School was the recipient of a “Service Learning Leader School” award at a luncheon held at the Sheraton Hotel in Anaheim on Feb. 10. Webster Principal Phil Cott, PTA co-President Dorothy Reinhold and Assistant District Superintendent Mike Matthews accepted the award presented by Jack O’Connell, state superintendent of public instruction.
“We were one of only eleven schools in the state to receive this recognition,” Cott said. “In order to qualify, a school must demonstrate that every student is involved in high quality service learning experiences that are connected to the curriculum and supported by the entire school community.
“We were required to assess our level of performance in 40 areas described in the application and provide letters of support from community organizations with which we work,” Cott continued. ” I am extraordinarily proud of the genuine commitment throughout our school community to service learning as a crucial component of a high quality instructional program and believe that our award was well-deserved.”
In addition to its annual BookEnds book drive, pet treat fundraiser for Agoura Animal Shelter, UNICEF and School on Wheels projects, Webster and its students have been involved with a variety of service learning opportunities. Some of these include befriending residents of the Running Springs area who lost their homes in recent fires, sponsoring Mending Kids, a local organization that provides lifesaving surgeries for ill children from third world countries, sending artistic support messages to Circus Remedy, an organization that sends Cirque du Soleil performers to brighten the lives of terminally ill youths, and helping to develop Brandon’s Village, a Calabasas playground for special-needs children.