4 local schools earn California Distinguished Schools honor for 2024
Two high schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, Corona del Mar and Estancia, have been named California Distinguished Schools for 2024 by the state Department of Education.
Ethel Dwyer Middle School in the Huntington Beach City School District, as well as Kazuo Masuda Middle School in the Fountain Valley School District, earned the same honor.
The four local schools were among 293 middle and high schools honored statewide — 38 in Orange County — for either closing the achievement gap or demonstrating exceptional student performance. Schools were selected using data from the 2023 California School Dashboard, with a focus on demonstrating excellence and growth in academic achievement and ensuring a positive school climate.
This is Corona del Mar High’s fourth time being named a distinguished school, as it also earned the accolade in 1988, 1996 and 2007.
“Receiving the recognition as a CA Distinguished School is verification of the tremendous work of our classified and certificated staff who strive to provide the best educational experience for our students & community,” CdM Principal Jake Haley said in a statement. “Additionally, this award is a testimony to the level of student achievement throughout our entire school.”
For Estancia, it was the first time the Eagles have been named a California Distinguished School.
“This is a shared recognition that could not have been possible without the dedication of our teachers, the hard work of our students and the support of our communities,” Estancia Principal Mike Halt said in a statement. “I want every parent in our zone to know the quality educational experience their children can have in our schools.”
Dwyer Principal Christa Glembocki said she was planning a March Madness staff celebration and something for the students, through PTA, to celebrate the award.
She noted proudly that Dwyer now has the Huntington Beach City School District Employee of the Year in the Safety Services category, Robin Dunning, as well as the district Teacher of the Year, Teresa Ward. Glembocki is currently the CA State Middle Grades Principal of the Year.
“During the past few years at Dwyer, we have worked very hard on making school a safe, fun place for students,” Glembocki said in an email. “We continue to reward students for showing our core values of GRIT (Gratitude, Responsibility, Integrity, and Tenacity), with GRITcoin that can be spent on campus or at one of our many community business partners. We have also focused on positive attendance campaigns and making sure that students are properly placed in supportive classrooms with interventions as needed. I am extremely proud of the many extracurricular opportunities we offer our students as well.”
Masuda is a CA Distinguished School for the third time, also earning the honor in 2009 and 2019.
“It is an honor and privilege to work at Masuda,” Principal Cara Robinson said in a statement. “Being recognized as a California Distinguished School solidifies our collective belief that this is a special place to learn and work! Masuda is a special place predominantly because of the mutual trust and respect families and staff have for one another. We are a village, all committed to supporting each other at home and at school.
“It is a unique place where the commitment to excellence permeates the walls of the school and it is like a badge of honor our students carry around with them off and into high school. Our staff is kid-centric and is always willing to self-reflect and improve. We do what it takes for the kids!”
All of this year’s honorees are set to be celebrated at a ceremony at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 3. They’ll be joined by 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools, 2023 Civic Learning Award Schools, as well as 2023 and 2024 California Exemplary Dual Enrollment Award Schools.
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