Principals of Catholic Schools eligible for the No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School recognition join their Pastors, Bishop William Lori, and Catholic School Administrators for a celebration at the Catholic Center in Bridgeport. Sister Anne McCarthy, S.S.N.D. is seated second from the right in the front row. (Photo by Karen Leffler)
September 12, 2008
Saint Mary Catholic School in Bethel, Conn. was named a “Blue Ribbon School” by the U.S. Department of Education, placing it in the top 10 percent of all schools in the United States; it is the only elementary school — public or private — in Connecticut to achieve this honor.
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that Saint Mary Catholic School in Bethel, Conn. has been named a 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School.
Saint Mary’s is one of only three schools in Connecticut to receive the recognition, and is the only elementary school in the state, public or private, to be named.
“It's affirming what we believe in,” says Sister Anne McCarthy, S.S.N.D., Saint Mary’s principal. “We're first and foremost a Catholic school, striving daily for academic excellence. It's a family-oriented school. The parents are extremely supportive; they're always on hand to help. We have a school community that’s committed to Catholic education.”
Sister Anne will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, DC, next month. Saint Mary’s enrolls 221 students in grades pre-K through 8.
Bishop William Lori (center) congratulates Sister Anne McCarthy, S.S.N.D., principal of Saint Mary School in Bethel, on being named a 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School. On hand to celebrate are the priests of Saint Mary Parish in Bethel, Father Corey Piccinino, pastor (right), and Father Cyrus Bartolome, parochial vicar. (Photo by Karen Leffler)
Top 10 Percent of Schools in the U.S.
Schools which qualify for the prestigious No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools recognition perform in the top 10 percent of their state in the case of public schools, or in the top 10 percent of the nation in nationally-normed tests in the case of private and religious schools. The award looks in particular at schools with 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance, and schools whose students achieve high national scores in reading and mathematics.
This year, 320 schools across the U.S. received the Blue Ribbon honor, including only 50 private or religious schools. The other two Connecticut schools to receive the award, Henry James Memorial School in Simsbury and Middlesex Middle School in Darien, are in high-income, high-scoring areas of the state.
“When people ask how our Catholic schools compare to public schools, we now have the answer for them,” says John Cook, deputy superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Bridgeport. “We're right at the top.”
“These Blue Ribbon Schools are an example of what teachers and students can achieve,” Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said in making the announcement. “Now our challenge is to help other schools follow their lead by continuing to measure progress though No Child Left Behind, and by using the knowledge we’ve gained to replicate effective strategies and help every student improve.”
