Camarillo school celebrates 10-year anniversary

The unveiling of a colorful mural marked the 10th anniversary of La Mariposa Elementary School in Camarillo on Monday.

Pupils, staff members and parents decorated 424 ceramic tiles for the mural. The tiles were joined together to create an 8-foot by 14-foot installation on the side of a building facing the playground at the school, which serves the Mission Oaks neighborhood.

"I was really amazed at the creativity you showed," Principal Jay Greenlinger said in his remarks to pupils, staff members, parents and Pleasant Valley School District officials. "Each tile is unique, and when you look at them together, it's pretty great."

The bright tiles have decorations such as rainbows, flowers, teddy bears, stripes and patterns, and the names of those who made them.

"It was a group idea, with teachers and parents wanting to do something permanent to mark the anniversary," Greenlinger said. "I think the most notable part of our school is the community that we've built, and that's what this really is able to communicate because it's a lot of little pieces coming together."

Camille Fisher, 4, whose sisters Brinley, 10, and Anna, 7, attend La Mariposa, was excited to see the tile she painted on the wall.

"There's two butterflies and one bumblebee and four flowers, and there's some grass," she said as her mother, Michelle Fisher, held her up to look.

"When you put it all together, it makes a really great picture, and that's kind of how La Mariposa is," Fisher said. "There's such great parent involvement, and the teachers here are so great, and the students love coming here, and I think that this just shows how much everyone loves being part of this school."

Patti Stouch has two children at the school and another who will be attending when she's old enough. Each of Stouch's children decorated tiles.

"My kids will permanently be here. It's very cool," she said.

Dianne Quimby-Anders, the school's first principal, described the very first day, at the start of the 2002-03 school year, as "the most exciting day."

"I'll never forget it," she said after Monday's ceremony. "The school has grown, but so many things are still the way we started with them, and each principal has built on that, and it's become a very strong school."

After the first year at the school and 30 years with the school district, Quimby-Anders retired. Pamela Gonzalez took over as principal, staying for five years.

"This is just a very special school. It's a wonderful place to learn. The staff is just terrific," said Gonzalez, now principal of Las Colinas Middle School.

"It started because there was a need for another school to accommodate the population of Camarillo. So this school was built, and it was full when it opened. Over time, it just developed and became a California Distinguished School. There are just lots and lots of things to celebrate here."

Of the original staff, 16 teachers are still at the school, along with office manager Nancy Thompson.

And people still talk of the day the bear came to visit.

"A bear wandered up out of the ravine, and it was wandering in the neighborhood, and we had to do one of those calls to everybody to stay home until the bear had been captured," said Gonzalez, who was principal at the time. "It was a funny thing to happen."