OCEANSIDE - The California Charter Schools Association recently announced that Pacific View Charter School has been honored as one of the nation's first Certified Charter Schools through a program that provides families and the education community with verification that participating schools are upholding standards that define a high-quality school.

The Certified Charter Schools Program, which to date has honored 39 charter schools, represents the first time in the country that the charter school movement has implemented standards for high quality with accountability, and recognizes charter schools that have met those standards.

The program, which emphasizes a rigorous self-evaluation and regular on-site visits by independent peer review teams, is designed to provide families, charter school administrators and school faculty members with reliable verification of charter schools that have committed to quality.

To earn the designation, Pacific View successfully completed an independent, third-party review and demonstrated alignment with the association's quality standards, which span the areas of student achievement, responsible governance and fiscal integrity. This measurement of school quality goes beyond test scores to identify schools that are making significant progress towards meeting their mission and goals, improving student academic achievement and focusing on the continuous improvement of their program.

For more information on the Certified Charter Schools Program, go to http://www.myschool.org.

Run/walk to benefit VHS cross-country program

A run/walk to benefit Vista High School's cross-country program is planned from 8 to 10 a.m. July 7 at Guajome Regional park in Oceanside.

The fifth annual Guajome Lakes 5K race will offer awards to the top three runners in 13 different age divisions. Cost is $28 for men and women in the 5K race and a 3.1 mile walk; and $15 for children 12 and younger in a one-mile fun run. Save money with pre-registration. Download entry forms by logging on to http://www.eteamz.active.com/vhspanthers or register on line at http://www.active.com.

Entries should be mailed to Panther Cross Country Boosters, 1614 Shire Ave., Oceanside, CA 92057. Registration the day of the race will start at 7 a.m. All proceeds will benefit the cross-country program.

Pacific View Charter School earns national honor

OCEANSIDE - The California Charter Schools Association recently announced that Pacific View Charter School has been honored as one of the nation's first Certified Charter Schools through a program that provides families and the education community with verification that participating schools are upholding standards that define a high-quality school.

The Certified Charter Schools Program, which to date has honored 39 charter schools, represents the first time in the country that the charter school movement has implemented standards for high quality with accountability, and recognizes charter schools that have met those standards.

The program, which emphasizes a rigorous self-evaluation and regular on-site visits by independent peer review teams, is designed to provide families, charter school administrators and school faculty members with reliable verification of charter schools that have committed to quality.

To earn the designation, Pacific View successfully completed an independent, third-party review and demonstrated alignment with the association's quality standards, which span the areas of student achievement, responsible governance and fiscal integrity. This measurement of school quality goes beyond test scores to identify schools that are making significant progress towards meeting their mission and goals, improving student academic achievement and focusing on the continuous improvement of their program.

For more information on the Certified Charter Schools Program, go to http://www.myschool.org.

LCCHS student earns honor

CARLSBAD - La Costa Canyon High School senior Russell Leedy recently was named a scholar-leader-athlete by the Walter J. Zable/San Diego chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

Leedy's name will be on display in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., representing the San Diego chapter. He received the award for his exceptional academic, citizenship and athletic achievements during the past year.

He has been a starter on the varsity football team for the last three years and was voted team captain for the 2006-07 season. In 2006, he was named to the All-Palomar League first team after receiving honorable mentions in both his sophomore and junior years. He also was chosen for the All-CIF first team. He will attend Brown University in the fall.

Summer tutoring classes offered

SOLANA BEACH - Fusion Learning Center is registering students for summer tutoring courses. Students use the summer months to strengthen weak skills, get prepared for the coming school year and learn organizational and study skills. Fusion Learning Center is a full-service, private school and tutoring facility and has been located in coastal North County for 17 years. For more information, call (858) 792-2300 or go to http://fusionlearningcenter.com.

TPHS student trains for Chemistry Olympiad

CARMEL VALLEY - Henry Tung, a Torrey Pines High School senior, recently attended the U.S. National Chemistry Study Camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He was one of just 20 students chosen from throughout the country to compete for a spot on the U.S. Chemistry Olympiad team. Four of the 20 students who attended the camp will be selected for the U.S. team that will compete at the 39th annual International Chemistry Olympiad, to be held in July in Moscow. The son of Henti and Peisha Tung of Carmel Valley, Henry already has one gold medal from the 2006 International Physics Olympiad. He will attend Harvard University in the fall.

Encinitas veteran earns degree

ENCINITAS - Dudley "Doug" Elmore recently graduated from the University of San Diego with a bachelor's degree in nursing after serving for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, where he was awarded a Purple Heart.

While at USD, he continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve Nurse Corps. At USD, he was a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honors Society and was awarded the Manchester Family Nursing Scholarship. He is employed at the UCSD Medical Center's Thornton Hospital in the intensive care unit and plans to continue his education at USD and become a family nurse practitioner. He and his wife, Kimberly Marcotte-Elmore, have two children, Hilary and Austin.

On Track students, families celebrate

ESCONDIDO - At the end of the recent school year, an estimated 1,500 Escondido elementary school students and their families gathered at Kit Carson Park for On Track Family Night, a celebration of the school year with the On Track After School Program.

The city of Escondido facilitates the program at eight elementary schools: Juniper, Farr, Conway, Miller, North Broadway, Oak Hill, Reidy Creek and Rock Springs. Last year, the program extended its students' extracurricular education beyond reading, writing and math, and emphasized physical fitness, science and art.

At On Track Family Night, more than 100 awards were given to students based on their individual achievements from the previous school year.

Child center enrollment ongoing

ESCONDIDO - The Escondido Community Child Development Center is enrolling children ages 4 months through kindergarten for the 2007-08 school year.

The center provides subsidized high-quality early care, early intervention and early childhood education, and sponsors essential nutrition through the California Child and Adult Food Program. Children are fed two main, family-style meals and two snacks each day, produced from on-site kitchens. The center accepts CalWorks clients and provides access to comprehensive social services to children of low-income working families at three licensed facilities in the Escondido area.

For food program eligibility requirements and to complete an enrollment application, come to the center at 819 W. Ninth Ave., Escondido. For more information, call (760) 839-9361.

PHS Robotics Team places high at fair

POWAY - Poway High School's Robotics Team recently placed second in a robotics tournament held at the San Diego County Fair. This year's tournament consisted of nine teams and two team alliances with a modified version of the first game, Rack and Roll. The team thanks Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, the city of Poway, the Schneider Family Foundation and Hewlett Packard for their donations and support.

Escondido resident earns prize

Christina Chavez of Escondido was one of three students who recently received the George B. Cooper Prize in History for the 2006-07 academic year at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. It is awarded to seniors who have done the best work in British history at the college.

Escondido native makes dean's list

Kelianne Montalvo of Escondido recently was named to the 2007 semester dean's list at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. To qualify for the honor, students must be enrolled in at least 13 credit hours of academic work and achieve a semester grade point average of at least 3.70.