Holy Family Recognized As A Blue Ribbon School
Bishop Charles C. Thompson visited Holy Family School in Jasper Sept. 24, joined from the Catholic Center in Evansville by Superintendent of Schools Daryl Hagan and Assistant Superintendents Michelle Priar and Gwen Godsey,
Mother Theodore Guerin attended – played by Holy Family science teacher Charmaine Oxford. Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty, played by language arts teacher Kristi Wehr, visited. Do did Cinderella, played by math teacher Denise Miller. Peyton Manning even showed up in his Colts jersey, played by kindergarten teacher Shelley Weinzapfel, paying respect to Holy Family’s blue and white school colors.
What in the world, you ask, could have brought together our bishop, diocesan school leadership, a saint, and stars from sports, fairy tales and reality TV? Easy answer – news that Holy Family is one of 286 schools in the country and one of only 50 private schools across the land to earn National Blue Ribbon School recognition for 2013!
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the list of schools in an online chat the morning of Sept. 24. Bishop Thompson and the others joined Holy Family Principal Sally Sternberg for a special assembly that afternoon, during which students heard the great news.
“The National Blue Ribbon Award is a tremendous recognition that acknowledges the excellence in education provided by Holy Family School,” Bishop Thompson said. “While this award directly honors the great success of Holy Family School, it also reflects the long-standing excellence in our Catholic schools throughout the diocese and the country.
Our commitment to high standards of formation and education is one of the hallmarks of the Catholic Church in the United States,” he continued. “I commend the administration, faculty, staff, parish and, most especially, the students for realizing this great achievement. This is cause for celebration!”
“To become a National Blue Ribbon School,” Sternberg told the assembly, “each grade had to score in the top 15th percentile in both English, language arts and math on ISTEP. This is a very hard feat for us here at Holy Family as our small class sizes sometimes mean that every student must pass everything with flying colors!”
Clearly, they did – and made Holy Family one of only a dozen Indiana schools on the National Blue Ribbon Schools roster this year.
“Congratulations!” Sterberg said at the assembly. “You are all truly deserving of this National award! I am so very proud of each and every one of you, and the graduating class of 2012 and 2013, for all your hard work and always striving to use your God-given talents to the best of your abilities.
“I am blessed to have an incredible faculty and staff who recognized the need for a shared vision and have not shied away from the challenges that were placed before them” she added. “I am thankful for the generous support, both in time and talent, from our parents and parishioners who never cease to amaze me with their love for this school.
“In order to achieve this level of excellence,” Hagan said after the assembly, “all stakeholders must be engaged in the educational mission of the Catholic school. I applaud Holy Family School on being recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.”
Next month, Fr. John Boeglin, pastor of Holy Family parish, will join Sternberg and a teacher representative for a trip to Washington, D.C., for the formal National Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony.
