Libertyville's Highland to celebrate Blue Ribbon Award
The Libertyville Elementary District 70 community is invited to celebrate Highland Middle School's national 2010 Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30, at the school, 310 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville.
Recognized as one of the most prestigious honors in education, the Blue Ribbon School award serves as a benchmark for excellence.
Highland was among 254 public and 50 private schools presented with the award during a two-day ceremony Nov. 15-16 in Washington, D.C. Principal Sharon Aspinall accepted the award, along with Dist. 70 Supt. Dr. Guy Schumacher, gifted education math and health teacher Karen Branding and Spanish teacher Jan Hutchins.
The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
“Schools honored with the Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed to achievement and to ensuring that students learn and succeed,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan when announcing the award winners. “Their work reflects the conviction that every child has promise and must receive a quality education.”
The local ceremony will includes comments from Dr. Schumacher, Principal Aspinall, teachers Hutchins and Branding, School Board President Judy Zoellick, Assistant Principal Jonathan Hallmark, and student council members Michelle Nee, Cameron Chen and Michaela Mooney. The Highland Family Association is providing refreshments.
Highland Middle School was selected as a “high performing” school in the award categories, being measured on state assessments over the last five years. Highland was one of 16 public schools in Illinois to be recommended to apply for the 2010 award by the Illinois State Board of Education. It is the second time the school has won the award.
“Each year since 1982, the U.S. Department of Education has sought out schools where students attain and maintain high academic goals,” Schumacher said. “Receipt of this honor continues to remind us of the impressive education for which we are all an integral part. We congratulate the talented students, dedicated staff and exemplary administration of Highland Middle School for this impressive and tremendous achievement.”
Highland first won the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award in 1990. This time around, though, Highland Principal Sharon Aspinall said it was different.
“Back then, 20 years ago, we applied for the award and officials came out to the schools to get a feel for it,” Aspinall said. “Now you are nominated by ISBE and in the application you have to get them to feel as if they were walking into Highland, so that they get a feel for how wonderful we are. It's very different.”
Aspinall credited an excellent teaching staff, knowledge-thirsty students and dedicated parents working as a team to win the award.
“We hire smart and excited people,” she said. “You need teachers who engage students, their thinking and learning, and you need students who want to come back every day and learn. Mixed into all of that you need dedicated parents like we have who support us, as well as a leadership team of administrators and a Board of Education that says, ‘How can we help you?' instead of ‘No, don't try that.' We all worked together to get here.”