At a dedication ceremony this afternoon, the students will know the satisfaction of a job well-done—but it won't be a new gym they will dedicate. Rather, they will celebrate a new $50,000 outdoor quad, built entirely with money raised by the students.

Tyler Clark, co-adviser to the school's 72-member Associate Student Body, which organized the quad's construction, said the students began their fund-raising drive with hopes of building a guym but changed their plans last year to build the quad and help beautify the campus.

"We realized it would be too difficult to raise the money ( for a gym)," Clark said.

Fortunately, the middle school won't have to go without one: In November, voters in the Conejo Valley School district approved the $88 million Measure R school construction bond, which includes money to buils gyms at all four of the district's middle schools. Planning is already under way and an advisory group has begun reviewing other gyms in the area.

Students said they are both excited and proud of what they have accomplished by selling thousands of subscriptions over the past several years.

"I'm really glad it got to be done by the time we graduated," said Kasey Crispin, a 14-year-old eight-grader and former president of the ASB.

"It's been a long time coming," said Nick Salyers, a 14 -year-old eighth grader and treasurer for the ASB. Salyers said the new quad, which will be named after principal Mike Waters, does much to beautify the campus. Previously, the area was just a dirt patch, and which turned muddy in the rain.

But now,the new 50-by-400 foot cement quad-designed by architect Michelle Newman, who donated her services for free - will not only feature trees and knee-high walls meant for students to relax on, it will also display a plaque comememorating the Class of 1998-99 for their accomplishment.

Brittany Tagliati, a 14-year - old eighth-grader and editor-an-chief of the yearbook, said she sold at least 90 magazine subscriptions during her three years at the school to help make the quad a reality. She said she didn't mind the work.

"I think that the group as a whole, over that eight-year period, has accomplished a tremendous amount," Clark said, adding that the ASB supports other programs with its magazine drive.

Teresa Coffman, ASB co-advisor, agreed.

"They want to do good things for the school," she said.

"It is ours. We raised the money," said Allison Peck, 12, Thousand Oaks. The other area was muddy, dirty and crowded, Peck said.

Colina students raised a good portion of the money over the past three years, according to Margaret Callahan, Colina assistant principal.

The original dream for funds as far back as eight years ago was to build a gym, Callahan said.

However, a portion of the bond issue that passed in November is earmarked for middle school gyms, she said. Therefore, Colina's money was available to use elsewhere—to improve the lunch court.

Previously the lunch area supported a much smaller student body, about 450 students.

Current enrollment at Colina is about 950, according to Principal Michael Waters.

The area was trampled and became muddy when it rained, Callahan said.

Improvements weren't a priority for district funding, she said.

Colina staff worked with Michelle Newman, landscape architect with Meeks & Associates of Malibu, in designing the new quad area.

Newman donated her time, Callahan said. Materials cost about $50,000.

Ground was broken for the quad on Jan. 1, following the design phase in February 1998, Callahan said. The concrete was complete by Mon., Feb 1 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday.

The all-cement lunch area accommodates a stage with trees that will be surrounded by landscaping.

The school logo will also be added in a circle in the middle, Newman said.

Much of the money raised to improve the lunch quad came from Colina's yearly September magazine sale, which raised as much as $40,000 a year, Callahan said.

That cash covers all extra-curricular activities at the school, Callahan said, including field trips, carnivals and other events.

Students also generated funds through a student store in which they sell school supplies and other items needed by youngsters, Waters said.

Each year, students raise money for a particular project—including painting lockers blue (to match the trim on the school) which they painted after an earlier project, Waters said.

They want a beautiful campus, he said.

The new lunch area is last year's eighth-grade gift to the school, Callahan said.

According to Callahan, Waters was a guiding force behind the new lunch area.

"Mr. Waters waited 12 years (for the new lunch court). We needed it. It's a good thing and nice," said Ellen Webb, 12, member of the Colina ASB.

Kelly Delaney, 13, Thousand Oaks, agreed that the lunch area is now much nicer.

The Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education was represented at the ribbon-cutting ceremony by Superintendant Jerry Gross, Ph. D.; Dorothy Beaubien, board president; and board members Tim Stephens, Ph.D., and Pat Phelps.

What was once a dirt patch is now a student gathering place, 50 feet by 400 feet, complete with landscaping and curved walls for sitting. Work crews this week added the finishing touches in anticipation of Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"With the limited funds that are available to school districts, it's hard to get this type of beautification project," Assistant Principal Margaret Callahan said. "Up until the bond passed (last) year, there were not enough dollars to go around."

Students originally planned to raise the money for 10 years to build a gymnasium, but an $88 million statewide school improvement bond that passed last year took care of that. So students took a vote and decided to use the $50,000 raised so far to develop a quad.

"I really like it," said Bryan Medders, student body president. "It's a lot easier place to be and hang out with friends and stuff."

Before, "whenever it rained, it was muddy," the 14-year old said. "Now it looks really cool."

Parent volunteer Marna Bilger also liked having the quad.

"The school functioned without it," she said. "But (the quad) provides a completely new eating area during breaks in school."

The students worked with landscape architect Michele Newman, who donated her time and design for the project after she learned the students were building the quad with money they raised, Callahan said.

"There is a beautiful oak tree out there and a pear tree, and they wanted to keep those trees so they put in seat walls," she said. "They wanted a place that incorporated plants and still gave room for kids."

Callahan said the school has a special projects account that students' fund-raising dollars go into to help improve the 30-year-old campus.

Having labored so long raising the money, students worked to protect their investment.

"I know that for the past couple of days they have been pouring cement; six to seven students were guarding it so no one could write their name in it," Medders said. "Out of 900 kids, only two people tried to do it."