Every year, the U.S. Department of Education awards schools the National Blue Ribbon award for academic excellence.
We asked principals of Lifetouch accounts “What one activity had the greatest impact in helping your school achieve National Blue Ribbon status?” While they all acknowledge there isn’t just one activity, here’s what they had to say.
Scroll to the bottom to read the list of Lifetouch accounts that received the National Blue Ribbon and to view photos from the event.
As a sponsor of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, we provide each awarded school with a complimentary school-branded banner and window decal. If you would like to receive additional school-branded products, please contact Stephanie Sontag at [email protected].
Parent and Community Involvement
- “I will say that our teachers know the individual needs of our students and they strive to meet them on a daily basis by communicating with parents. We have parents that support their children and want the best for them. That is the key ingredient of success in any school.” – Timothy Closson, Bluffton Elementary School, Bluffton, OH
- “It takes a village. Our parents are good role models and send us prepared and respectful students. Our feeder parishes prepare the students both academically and socially when they come to us as freshmen. Once students are in our school, our staff are dedicated to their needs and their growth experiences at BBHS. Our adult leaders – moderators and coaches are trying to make our students better people through extracurricular activities and experiences. Our motto, “Charity First” is lived out through every student, which develops their passionate, compassionate and spiritual side. Lastly, we are a smaller school who utilizes that to our advantage and assists in creating and maintaining a very family oriented environment for everyone.” – Dan Ridder, Bishop Brossart High School, Alexandria, KY
- “RELATIONSHIPS! Teachers and support staff know their students and truly care about their success. Parents/guardians and our school community are engaged and help us meet the diverse needs of all of our students.” – Susan Hoeft, Vandyke Elementary School, Coleraine, MN
- “I am a firm believer that our success comes from this four-ingredient recipe of hard-working students, a dedicated staff, parental involvement and community support. When ‘blended’ correctly, the sky is the limit.” – Shawn Hudson, Chancellor Elementary School, Fredericksburg, VA
Specialized Curriculum
- “Over 85% of our students participate in some aspect of the arts. This is much higher than most of our peers. Despite being a highly academic school with a rigorous curriculum, we believe that this statistic is indicative of the balance we promote with our students.” – John Arlotta, Glen Rock High School, Glen Rock, NJ
Dedicated Teachers
- “The Leadership Team at Harrington Waddell Elementary School feels shared ownership and a team commitment approach are keys to the academic success students experience within our school allowing us to achieve NBRS status. Waddell is a nurturing school community where high expectations for academic and social growth are standard for all students. The teachers and school staff at Waddell have created a supportive, rigorous and engaging school community where student success is the goal for all involved. Paraprofessionals and support staff play an equally impactful role in meeting students’ needs and promoting student achievement. These key players take an active part in the teaming approach with classroom teachers and school administrators to address the learning and social-emotional needs of each child. Each week, the Student Success Team (SST), made up of teachers, specialists, the principal and school counselor meets to identify strategies and supports that will help to move a child forward in his/her academic or social development. The team helps to support the staff who are involved with that student, as well as families, access the resources and strategies needed and then track that student’s progress over time. Developing positive behavior plans, partnering with community organizations to access programs, designing individual academic plans, or meeting with the student’s family to offer support, Waddell has its students’ best interests at heart. It is in this commitment and through this teaming approach that we dedicate our work to the academic and social successes of all Waddell students. The teaming approach found within our SST meetings is the one activity that has the greatest impact in helping our school achieve NBRS status.” – Melanie Camden, Harrington Waddell Elementary School, Lexington, VA
- “Our collective efficacy leads our staff to an attitude of doing whatever it takes to help a student succeed – including Response to Instruction (RtI) and educating the whole child…We seek to develop learners who dream, believe, and create. With student learning as our focus, our staff embodies teamwork and collaboration. We are proud of initiatives that impact both teacher development and student learning including the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), Ongoing Assessment Project (OGAP) training, Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), Leader in Me, Multi-Sensory Learning Education, PowerUp Digital Learning Initiative and our Title I program implementation. Each contributes to our success in educating the whole child in a supportive, yet challenging environment. The expectation of success leads to a continually evolving curriculum. Teachers use a variety of resources to target student needs and interests. Technology integration enables individualized instruction that both remediates and enriches. Students use technology tools to create products that demonstrate success and showcase learning. Assessment drives our instruction with a no-fail mentality and students work to master standards essential to developing a solid academic foundation. Using small group instruction and intervention, our Response to Instruction (RTI) model addresses areas of needed growth. At AES we have collective efficacy and believe in our ability as a team to positively influence student outcomes. No matter the challenges faced by many of our students, we see their endless potential and work tirelessly to encourage and inspire them to dream big!” – Cindy Davis, Athens Elementary School, Athens, AL
One-on-One Attention
- “The one practice that has been most instrumental in promoting student growth and learning is the individualized instruction that takes place at Butterfield School. Small group, targeted instruction occurs on a daily basis in the general education classrooms and with the school intervention team. Data collected through formative and summative assessment tools are consistently reviewed to determine whether or not current instructional groupings and resources are meeting the needs of each student. When necessary, adjustments to a child’s program are made to ensure he/she is receiving the most appropriate level of support. In the general education classroom, teachers provide small group instruction through guided reading and math. Guided reading groups provide teachers the opportunity to deliver instruction that addresses the unique needs of each child, helping them to strengthen their skills and meet or exceed grade-level expectations. This practice was first implemented to promote growth in reading. Recently, this instructional strategy was expanded to include mathematics. With the adoption of CCSS and new curriculum resources, teachers recognized the need to adjust their instruction to ensure students were gaining a thorough understanding of the learning standards. Teachers participated in professional development opportunities and collaborated to improve their practice in order to meet the needs of their students. Butterfield School is home to an exceptionally dedicated staff that is willing to take risks and implement new strategies to support student learning. The entire staff is highly collaborative and takes ownership of all students in the school, not just those assigned to their individual classes. These important characteristics set the stage for learning, while our focus on individualized instruction makes us truly successful.” – Kristine Walsh, Butterfield Elementary School, Lombard, IL
- “For an award like this, it takes an entire community coming together for multiple events and initiatives. One thing that we are proud of is our work to create an inclusive school that honors and tries to integrate students from all ability levels into classrooms.” – Corey Brown, William Hopkins Junior High School, Freemont, CA
Congratulations to the following Lifetouch accounts who received the 2018 National Blue Ribbon award!
- A.D. Henderson University School & FAU High School, Florida
- A.W. Jackson Elementary School, Texas
- Abington High School, Massachusetts
- Achieve Charter Academy, Michigan
- Akron-Fairgrove Elementary School, Michigan
- Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School, Pennsylvania
- Athens Elementary School, Alabama
- Austin Elementary School, Georgia
- Bannach Elementary, Wisconsin
- Bannockburn Elementary School, Maryland
- Belknap Elementary School, Utah
- Bishop Brossart High School, Kentucky
- Bloomsburg Area High School, Pennsylvania
- Bluffton Elementary School, Ohio
- Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School, Ohio
- Britt David Elementary Computer Magnet Academy, Georgia
- Butterfield Elementary School, Illinois
- Canby Elementary School, Minnesota
- Cedar Lane Elementary School, Delaware
- Center Point-Urbana High School, Iowa
- Central Valley School, North Dakota
- Chancellor Elementary School, Virginia
- Chenango Forks High School, New York
- Christ The Teacher School, New Jersey
- Colt Andrews Elementary School, Rhode Island
- Dearborn STEM Middle School, Michigan
- Dr. Levesque Elementary School, Maine
- E. A. White Elementary School, Georgia
- East Amwell Township School, New Jersey
- East Lynn Elementary School, West Virginia
- Elwood-John H. Glenn High School, New York
- Ernest W. Seaholm High School, Michigan
- Fallston Middle School, Maryland
- Flynn Elementary School, Wisconsin
- Fort Mill High School, South Carolina
- Francis W. Jones Magnet Middle School, Virginia
- Giant City Community Consolidated School District 130, Illinois
- Glen Rock High School, New Jersey
- Glenn C. Marlow Elementary School, North Carolina
- Golden Rule Sunnyside Campus, Texas
- Greenwood High School, Pennsylvania
- Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, Illinois
- Harrington Waddell Elementary School, Virginia
- Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus, Pennsylvania
- Hawthorne Elementary School, Utah
- Haywood Early College, North Carolina
- Heards Ferry Elementary School, Georgia
- Hickory Creek Middle School, Illinois
- Hillcrest Elementary School, Kansas
- Homer Middle School, Alaska
- Hume-Fogg Academic High School, Tennessee
- Immaculate Heart Of Mary School, Kentucky
- Indian Riffle Elementary School, Ohio
- International Academy, Michigan
- Iron River Elementary School, Wisconsin
- J. B. Hunt Elementary School, Arkansas
- James Fallon Elementary School, New Jersey
- Jamestown School-Melrose, Rhode Island
- Keene Mill Elementary School, Virginia
- Kendrick Lakes Elementary School, Colorado
- Kingsland Elementary School, Arkansas
- Lake Forest South Elementary School, Delaware
- Lake Road Elementary School, Missouri
- Lee Elementary School, Kansas
- Lewis Vincent Elementary School, Louisiana
- Lorenzo Walker Technical High School, Florida
- Magdalen Catholic School, Kansas
- Mansfield Spanish Immersion School, Ohio
- Maple River East Elementary School, Minnesota
- Maplewood Elementary School, Ohio
- Mariemont Elementary School, Ohio
- Mater Dei Catholic School, Pennsylvania
- Maude Rousseau Elementary School, Nebraska
- Merrol Hyde Magnet School, Tennessee
- Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, Texas
- Minuteman Regional High School, Massachusetts
- Montegut Elementary School, Louisiana
- Mother Teresa Catholic Elementary School, Ohio
- Mount Rose Elementary School, Nevada
- Mountain Brook Elementary School, Alabama
- MS 216 George J. Ryan School, New York
- Naperville North High School, Illinois
- Nooksack Elementary School, Washington
- Northwest Early College High School, Texas
- Oakhill Elementary School, Kentucky
- Oakwood Elementary School, Ohio
- Old Farmers Road School, New Jersey
- Our Lady Of Lourdes School, Kentucky
- Our Lady Of Mercy Academy, New Jersey
- Parkview Elementary School, Illinois
- Parkview Elementary School, Wisconsin
- Peruvian Park Elementary School, Utah
- Pioneer Peak Elementary School, Alaska
- Reagan Elementary School, Indiana
- Ridgway Area High School, Pennsylvania
- Riverside STEM Academy, California
- Rolling Ridge Elementary School, Pennsylvania
- Roosevelt Elementary School, Wisconsin
- Sacred Heart Model School, Kentucky
- Sacred Heart School, Illinois
- Sagebrush Elementary School, Wyoming
- Saint Bede Elementary School, Illinois
- Saint Catharine School, New Jersey
- Saint Francis Xavier School, Illinois
- Saint Ignatius Loyola School, New York
- Saint Jerome Elementary School, New Jersey
- Saint Joseph School, Kentucky
- Saint Leo the Great School, New Jersey
- San Diego Jewish Academy Lower School, California
- Scales Elementary School, Tennessee
- School of Engineering and Arts, Minnesota
- School Without Walls High School, D.C.
- Selbyville Middle School, Delaware
- Sergeant Bluff-Luton Senior High School, Iowa
- Shakerag Elementary School, Georgia
- Simpson Elementary School, Georgia
- Socrates Academy, North Carolina
- Somers Senior High School, New York
- South Side High School, New York
- Spackenkill High School, New York
- St. Cecilia Elementary School, Kentucky
- St. Mary Magdalen School, Pennsylvania
- St. Thomas The Apostle School, New Jersey
- Stanton College Preparatory School, Florida
- Sterling Grade School, Kansas
- Summit Middle School, Iowa
- Swampscott High School, Massachusetts
- Swigert International School, Colorado
- Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary School, Florida
- Teach Elementary School, California
- The STEM Early College at N.C. A&T, North Carolina
- Urbana Elementary School, Maryland
- Vacherie Elementary School, Louisiana
- Valley Heights Elementary School, Kansas
- Vandyke Elementary School, Minnesota
- Vista College Preparatory, Arizona
- W Tresper Clarke High School, New York
- W.J. Gurganus Elementary School, North Carolina
- Wall Elementary – 02, South Dakota
- Wayzata Central Middle School, Minnesota
- Westside Elementary School, Wyoming
- William Hopkins Junior High School, California
- William M. Meredith School, Pennsylvania
- Wolf Hill Elementary School, New Jersey
- Woodrow Cummins Elementary School, Arkansas
- Yarmouth Elementary School, Maine
- York Preparatory Academy, South Carolina
View photos from the 2018 National Blue Ribbon award ceremony.