Principal: Every Neuqua student earned National Blue Ribbon award
Just by being the students - and the people - they are, every teen at Neuqua Valley High School helped the school win its first National Blue Ribbon award this year, Principal Bob McBride said Tuesday.
And just by being the employees they are, so, too, did teachers, counselors, tutors, nurses and assistants.
Together the students, faculty and staff of Neuqua Valley, all 4,000 strong, celebrated the achievement during the Naperville school's Red Carpet Pep Rally in the gym.
Complete with a real red carpet, brought into focus by spotlights, and with bass-booming musical accompaniment, bright lights and highlight video reels, the pre-Thanksgiving assembly brought perk and pride to the first high school in Indian Prairie Unit District 204 to win the National Blue Ribbon.
McBride put the award into perspective for students, who might not have known how impressed they should be by their school's selection as a winner by the U.S. Department of Education.
There are 133,000 schools in the nation, and about 800 of them were nominated for the National Blue Ribbon this year, McBride said. The department selected 342 as winners - but only 40 high schools.
"Neuqua Valley was one of those," McBride said, to one of many rounds of applause during the 45-minute assembly. "That's awesome."
Students in a video clip made to introduce the award said their school is deserving because it's exciting, different, talented, driven, diverse, powerful, spirited - and because it becomes their family.
"This is truly a national honor that every single one of you earned for your family, your community and your school," McBride said.
He's always called the award a team effort, and he highlighted the contributions of everyone who makes up Neuqua during Tuesday's festivities. He asked students to continue coming to school with "a heart of gratitude" and a willingness to listen to a teaching staff he called "the best educators in the United States of America."
Before wrapping up the assembly with a final outburst of cheers for the education award, the school also honored its other state and national award winners, among them athletes, academics, emergency medical technicians in training and young financial policy experts.
Winners included the boys rugby team, state champions; the girls badminton team, state runner-up; student Riziki Covington, who received regional and national medals in the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics; students Ethan McReynolds and Jordan Stern, state champions in the Health Occupations Students of America emergency medical technician competition; the boys and girls Ultimate Frisbee teams, state champions; student Eric Mitchell, pommel horse state champion in gymnastics; student Alyssa Dunn, figure skating state champion; the boys track and field 4X800 relay team; state runner-up; and the boys cross-country team, state runner-up.
McBride also was honored as a national winner. He is one of eight educators to receive the Terrel H. Bell Award for outstanding school leadership this year from the U.S. Department of Education.
Neuqua is the sixth school in Indian Prairie Unit District 204 to win National Blue Ribbon recognition, following three elementaries - Fry, May Watts and White Eagle - and two middle schools - Crone and Gregory.