Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School was among the 62 schools recognized by the California School Board Association for their “All Aboard” program assisting families with the hardships of deployment and transition.

“‘All Aboard' is more of a philosophy than a program, it's a feeling you get when you're here,” said Lynne E. Gilstrap, principal, MFPES. “It’s not your typical counseling or reading program. All of us are on board the same philosophical train, helping one another.”

The Golden Bell is awarded to school districts and county offices of education throughout the state that host programs promoting excellence in education and offer outstanding student support.

Awarded programs address the students’ changing needs and reflect the depth and breadth of the education. With more than 10,000 schools, the prestigious decoration is highly coveted, according to the CSBA.

Mary Fay’s program encompasses 15 agencies and non-profit groups including the YMCA, Big Brothers and Big Sisters. “All Aboard” has become an advocate of sorts, alerting outside agencies to needs like one-on-one counseling or physical needs.

"All I have to do is make a phone call and say one of our kids needs food, shoes or glasses," Gilstrap said.

Mary Fay is located in the Deluz Family Housing area and is unique because of the surrounding community of military families. These families often deal with the stress and hardships of changing duty stations or deploying overseas.

“Someone once told me we should have a revolving door in our office with the amount of kids we register almost daily,” said Gilstrap. “Not too many schools face the challenges we face.”

Most schools cater to one or two new students a year, but almost all of Mary Fay’s nearly 800 students are new.

“The award is fitting recognition of the school's teachers and administrators,” said Jim Whitlock, district spokesman, Fallbrook Unified Elementary School District. “We're quite proud of the achievement.”