Mount Prospect Catholic School celebrates Blue Ribbon win

Saint Raymond School students, faculty and community members celebrated its Blue Ribbon Award win at a special ceremony Thursday.

The Mount Prospect Catholic school was one of seven in the Archdiocese of Chicago to receive the award this year and one of 50 private schools to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Superintendent of the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools Dr. Jim Rigg spoke at the event and presented a plaque commemorating the accomplishment to school Principal Mary Eileen Ward and Assistant Principal Catherine Hart.

Hart said the award is a huge honor and a reflection of the school.

"It took a lot of work to get here," said Hart, who spearheaded the school committee that applied for the award.

The ceremony coincided with Saint Raymond's annual "special guest day," where each of the 512 students is allowed to invite a family member or friend to join the student throughout the school day. Hart said staff also invited members of the school community as well as former faculty members and former pastors to join the celebration.

The new Blue Ribbon Award is the second in the school's history. Their first Blue Ribbon was awarded in 2009.

Other archdiocesan winners are Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts, St. Benedict Preparatory School Elementary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy and Old St. Mary's School in Chicago, St. Athanasius School in Evanston and Ss. Cyril & Methodius School in Lemont.