Twin Groves celebrates Blue Ribbon School award
Representatives of Twin Groves Middle School in Buffalo Grove traveled to Washington, D.C. last month to accept its National Blue Ribbon award from the U.S. Department of Education.
On Thursday, they shared the prestigious honor with the Twin Groves teachers, staff and students who helped make it possible.
Standing before a packed gym of students, Principal Jessica Barnes held the Blue Ribbon School award up high for all to see after receiving it from Kildeer Countryside District 96 Superintendent Julie Schmidt.
The school’s celebration Thursday afternoon included a funny video showing the school’s mascot “Kolt,” a small stuffed animal horse, placed near or on famous Washington locations like the Lincoln Memorial, Ford Theater and the Washington Monument. Students cheered during a second video called “A Day in the Life of A Twin Groves Student.”
The program ended with the complete student body sing the school’s fight song led by the chorus directed by Dawn Bussert and band directed by Cathy Williams.
The National Blue Ribbon program recognizes public and private schools that demonstrate exceptionally high student performance or exemplary improvement in performance. A total of 286 schools across the country, including 21 in Illinois, achieved National Blue Ribbon designation this year.
Twin Groves was one of three Northwest suburban winners, joining Roslyn Road Elementary School in Barrington and St. Peter Lutheran School in Arlington Heights. Representatives from all three attended an awards ceremony last month in Washington, D.C.
Twin Groves’ application cited its commitment to focusing on the whole child in its education efforts. Barnes told the Daily Herald last month that social and emotional learning are a big priority at the school. If a student struggles, an “intervention team” responds, she said.
“Our teachers believe there is no cap on learning, no matter which student you’re talking about,” she said. “They differentiate really well, and we try to provide the resources necessary for each student to succeed.”