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(Article from the Greeneville Sun 12-9-05)
Tusculum View Elementary School has been named a Blue Ribbon
School of Excellence "Lighthouse School," Dr. Lyle
Ailshie, director of Greeneville City Schools, announced Thursday.
The award was presented on Dec. 2, during the Blue Ribbon Schools
of Excellence 2005 Blueprint for Excellence annual conference in
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Thirty schools from across the
nation were named "Lighthouse Schools," including three
from Tennessee. These
schools were selected based on nominations to identify and
recognize successful schools exhibiting a strong commitment to
education al excellence for all students, according to a press
release from the school system.
Attending the conference from
Tusculum View School were its principal, Terri Rymer, and, three
teachers: Stacy King, Pat Donaldson and Melissa Morgan. Ailshie
and Jerry Anderson, chairman of the Greeneville Board of
Education, also attended the ceremony.
Also, Dr. Linda Stroud, principal of Greeneville Middle
School, and GMS teachers Debbie Hendrix, Jana Wills and Jamie
House were in attendance and were presenters during the associated
conference activities.
The Greeneville Board of
Education recognized Tusculum View and its accomplishments during
its regular monthly meeting Thursday at the school system's
central office. Attending the school board meeting were Rymer,
King, Donaldson and Morgan, who received the award plaque from
Anderson and Ailshie. A
school celebration is being planned, and more information about
this event will be announced later. Ailshie
Comments
Ailshie said, "I am thrilled for Tusculum View
Elementary School, Mrs. Rymer, and the entire faculty and staff.
Locally, we have known for many years of the many wonderful things
happening at the school, arid now these practices have been
recognized and validated by an organization that spends its time
researching best practices. I commend Mrs. Rymer and her staff for
demonstrating initiative in applying for this award and being
evaluated against the very best schools in our great nation. I
know that the Town of Greeneville and its citizens celebrate with
us.”
"We now have three schools
that have been recognized at the national level along with the
system's prior recognition of its technology infrastructure and
program.” (EastView Elementary School was named a national Blue
Ribbon School of Excellence in 2004.)
Ailshie continued, "There:
will always be challenges to overcome, but another significant
step has been taken: toward achieving the vision of being a
'world-class' school system. We have the most qualified and
dedicated teachers and I staff to be found and wonderful support
from our parents and the community, therefore our success is
assured. "Again, I congratulate Tusculum View for its award
and I can't wait for the school's celebration."
Anderson added, "We are
indeed proud of the accomplishments of Tusculum View.
The staff has worked hard to improve teaching and learning
at many levels. Being one of 30 schools recognized across the
nation has brought attention not only to Tusculum View, but to our
entire system." Beacons
Of Achievement
Blue Ribbon Lighthouse Schools "serve as beacons of
exemplary achievements and contributions to ensure successful
educational experiences for all children by shining a positive
light on the nation's best schools and programs that work," a
press release said.
It continued, "The program
focuses on locating successful best practices and programs that
work in education to serve as a marker for schools that desire to
be high-performing beacons for today's educational culture." "It
is our honor to recognize these schools that are 'going above and
beyond' to meet the diverse needs of their students. It is this
exemplary attitude that brings schools above the status quo by
incorporating innovative techniques to overcome obstacles in
educating all children," explained Bart Teal, executive
director of Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, Inc. Program
In Third Year
Celebrating the third year of recognizing exemplary
schools, the Blue Ribbon Lighthouse Schools Award Program is
administered by Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, Inc. All K-12
schools - whether public, private, charter, parochial, Department
of Defense or Bureau of Indian Affairs schools - are eligible to
participate. The national recognition program is designed to find
"what's right" about education and celebrate the
successes of these schools, the press release said.
Winners are selected based on
criteria developed from over 20 years of sound research garnered
from the form U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon
Schools program, which was replaced by the NCLB Blue Ribbon
Schools program, the release said. Hands-On
Conference
The Blue Ribbon Schools Blueprint for Excellence Conference
highlights nationally- recognized schools and pro-rams from across
the country. This
year, presenters included some of the top principals and teachers
featuring best practices in America's best schools, including Blue
Ribbon Lighthouse Schools. There were special hands-on sessions
highlighting NASA's educational initiatives, PITSCO modular labs
utilized by elementary and middle level teachers, and a model
technology classroom featuring SMART Boards in interactive
sessions using technology and best practices. Best
Practices Sought
Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, Inc., is a
not-for-profit organization that administers this awards program
and is dedicated to providing educational improvement
opportunities for all schools and all children, the press release
said.
Funded through a grant from the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Blue Ribbon
Schools of Excellence seeks to find what is working in schools and
to share this knowledge with all schools through school
improvement initiatives and a Web-based interactive library of
best practices. For
more information, visit: www.blueribbonschools.com
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