Streamwood school rebounds to win Blue Ribbon award

The principal and teachers at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Streamwood dyed their hair blue Friday in celebration of winning a Blue Ribbon for Academic Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education earlier in the week.

Staff members were especially excited because just four years ago, the school was on the verge of closing due to low enrollment. It has since revamped its curriculum and added more than 100 students.

The changes were a primary goal of Rev. Ted Schmitt, who took over leadership of the parish three years ago.

“I am extremely proud of our Blue Ribbon award, because it showcases the excellence of Catholic education. A great school is a direct result of an outstanding principal and devoted teachers,” Schmitt said in a news release.

The Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools has received more Blue Ribbon Awards than any other school system in the country since the program began in 1984.

The school, founded more than 50 years ago, is comprised of 288 students from pre-school through 8th grade, and 22 faculty and staff members.

The award “validates all of the hard work and dedication our children have put forth,” Principal Mary Ellyn Billmeyer said in a news release. “The faculty and staff have done an excellent job in guiding our students to become lifelong learners with an emphasis on caring for others in need.

“This honor could not have been achieved without the constant encouragement and support of the school and parish community.”

In addition to strong academic standards, St. John complements its curriculum with a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular activities to create a caring environment.

“The teachers at St John's are highly involved with the children and it is evident that they want each and every child to succeed,” said Allison Kanyuh of Streamwood, who has two sons attending the school.

More information is at mystjohns.org/school.