PELLSTON — Pellston Elementary College was named a Nationwide Blue Ribbon College, the district introduced on Monday, Sept. 23.
Pellston Elementary College was one in every of 12 colleges in Michigan awarded the celebrated honor. A complete of 356 colleges had been acknowledged all through the USA.
Based on the U.S. Division of Schooling, Nationwide Blue Ribbon College recognition relies on the “total educational efficiency or progress in closing achievement gaps amongst scholar teams on assessments.” Pellston Elementary College was one in every of 57 colleges nationwide to be acknowledged within the “Exemplary Achievement Hole Closing Faculties” class.
Part of the class relies on closing efficiency gaps between totally different subgroups of the coed inhabitants.
This might embody gaps between economically deprived college students versus not economically deprived college students, which make up 65.2% and 34.8% of the Pellston scholar physique, respectively, in keeping with MI College Information.
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Superintendent Stephen Seelye stated the award was granted to Pellston Elementary College based mostly on check scores from the 2022-23 educational 12 months. The varsity was nominated by the state, after which the appliance course of included essay writing and doc submissions to win the award.
“Our tenants that drive our college are three easy guidelines: To like youngsters, work laborious and be optimistic, and that rubs off on college students,” Seelye instructed the Information-Overview.
He added that these tenants make college students need to be at college, and he has heard from dad and mom that their youngsters don’t desire snow days or summer time holidays as a result of they’d relatively be at school.
“When you’ve youngsters that need to be at college and need to study, you have already conquered 80% of the battle,” Seelye stated. “Youngsters are youngsters, and getting them to be engaged and be intentional learners will be troublesome, however constructing a loving, trusting relationship brings the very best out in them.”
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The varsity was chosen based mostly on their M-STEP scores in English/Language Arts and math for grades 3-5.
In a letter despatched to the Pellston Public Faculties group, Seelye stated the award “is a testomony to the exemplary educating and studying that takes place at our college and is the very best honor a college can obtain.”
“We’re extremely happy with our college students and educators and deeply appreciative of the assist and partnership from our dad and mom, households and the group,” he wrote. “Pellston Elementary College is one in every of solely (12) colleges in Michigan to obtain this distinguished honor, and we’re actually honored to be amongst them.”
In November, a crew from the college will go to Washington, D.C. to obtain the award from U.S. Secretary of Schooling Miguel Cardona.
“The Nationwide Blue Ribbon Faculties Award is a testomony to the distinctive achievements of scholars and educators at every of those colleges,” Cardona stated in a press launch. “The 2024 Nationwide Blue Ribbon Faculties are elevating the bar for our nation’s college students, serving as fashions for efficient educating and intentional collaboration of their colleges and communities. As we have a good time their achievements, allow us to look to those colleges for inspiration as we champion training as the inspiration of a brighter future for each baby.”
Seelye stated the award feels particular due to the excessive stage of educational success colleges want with a view to be thought of for the award.
“They do not simply give out the awards to provide out the awards,” he stated. “There is a very excessive stage of standards of educational success {that a} college has to realize to have the ability to win the award. There’s a lot of awards which can be left on the desk yearly, so that is undoubtedly a tough and earned award.”
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Observe her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This text initially appeared on The Petoskey Information-Overview: Pellston Elementary School named 2024 National Blue Ribbon School
