Brook Forest Elementary celebrates National Blue Ribbon
The Brook Forest community celebrated the Oak Brook elementary school's National Blue Ribbon Award this week in a packed gym.
Students opened the celebration by parading into the gym waving smiley face sticks and wearing Brook Forest T-shirts festooned with blue ribbons. As parents, residents, staff members and dignitaries looked on, Principal Kelly Voliva then took "attendance" from each class, kindergarten through fifth grade, asking them to cheer to show their pride in Brook Forest.
"That's the only time you're able to scream like that in school," she said.
Voliva asked staff and faculty members to stand to the sound of lengthy applause from students.
The students also saluted school board President Alan Hanzlik, who told them, "You all have a lot of spirit." He said the award, which has been given to less than 1 percent of all schools in the nation since its inception in 1982, recognizes Brook Forest's past performance and journey.
Superintendent Heidi Wennstrom read congratulatory messages from President Barack Obama, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner and DuPage Regional Office of Education Superintendent Darlene Ruscetti.
"We are honored to be among an elite group of schools focused on securing results, innovation and creativity," she said. "We are deeply committed to a continuous improvement model in which parents and educators partner to achieve successful outcomes for each and every student."
More than 330 schools nationwide earned the designation this year, including more than a dozen in Illinois.
The honor is based on a school's overall academic excellence or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
Other DuPage County schools that captured Blue Ribbon honors are Stella May Swartz Elementary in Oakbrook Terrace, Park View Elementary in Lombard and Oak Elementary in Hinsdale.
Wennstrom told the students the Blue Ribbon will not be their only award.
"My goal for you is to love learning, develop compassion and teamwork, choose goals worthy of making a difference for humanity and strive to do your very best," she told them.
Three students - Akshay Badlani, Sara Kumar and Shivani Rao - read essays about what the award means to them, and students from each grade level read a sentence about why they believe Brook Forest won the coveted award.
"The teachers are awesome and there is great diversity in our school," said Blake Edmonds.
"We take pride in our work and treat every body like family," said Ellie Rios.
The culmination of the ceremony was a balloon launch, in which each student and staff member simultaneously released biodegradable balloons.
Wennstrom, Voliva and Assistant Principal Lisa Owen traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this month to officially accept the award.
"I could not be prouder of you, and we were honored to bring this back," Wennstrom told teachers, community members and students.