The Pony Express is not responsible for the content of external websites
Copyright Stillwater Area High School MMX
February 17, 2012
Withrow Elementary was recently nominated as a "Blue Ribbon School" by the Minnesota Department of Education for excellence in its student achievement. It also has the opportunity to be honored as a National Blue Ribbon school and recognized at a September ceremony in Washington, D.C. Eight schools in Minnesota were awarded this title and Withrow Elementary was one of them.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program includes public and nonpublic elementary, middle and high schools for students who accomplish a very high level of learning. Withrow Elementary is currently ranked as one of the highest performing schools in the state in both reading and mathematics. Among the Blue Ribbon schools in Minnesota, are also six others within the Stillwater District alone. These schools include: Stillwater Area High School, Junior High, Oakland Junior High, Stonebridge Elementary, Oak Park Elementary and Marine Elementary.
"I was stunned because I know how huge of an achievement it is just to be nominated and recommended across the nation," said Principal Lynn Bormann, principal of both Withrow and Marine Elementary who was quoted in the Stillwater Gazette.
The Blue Ribbon award is given to schools that have the best school leadership and teaching practices. The U. S. Department of Education is what searches for schools with students who acquire and maintain high academic goals.
"They look at the last five years of data and with the high achievement we've had the last five years, that was Minnesota's rationale for nominating us," Bormann said in the Stillwater Gazette.
Withrow Elementary is also in the running for recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School and if it is chosen, it will be honored at a ceremony in Washington D.C. this coming September. Withrow will fill out an application for the national committee that will be reviewed in March.
The news of the school's award was very exciting for parents, teachers and staff. It was reassuring to teachers that they were going above and beyond their jobs to provide an excellent education for their students.
"Withrow is a Blue Ribbon School in the high performing category, so I think that shows the hard work and attention staff placed to make sure its school is reaching all of its potential," said Superintendent Corey Lunn in the Stillwater Gazette. "Our goal in the district is to personalize learning and I think this is a perfect example of a building that has taken that to heart."
Copy Editor