News
Two Diocese of Raleigh Schools Named Blue Ribbon Schools for 2007
The U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced today that Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, both in Raleigh, have been chosen as National No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools for 2007. The two schools are among eight North Carolina public and private schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education this year. A total of 287 schools received the honor nationwide.
The No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private K-12 schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or those whose students achieve at very high levels. The schools submit an extensive application and are selected by a panel based on one of the following criteria:
- A school has at least 40 percent of its students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have dramatically improved their performance in at least the past three years in reading and mathematics and are achieving at high levels.
- A school may be recognized if its students achieve at the highest levels, that is, if the school is in the top 10 percent of the schools in the nation in reading and mathematics in the last grade tested, as measured by an assessment referenced against national norms, or in the top 10 percent in its state as measured by a state test in at least the last grade tested.
Sacred Heart Cathedral School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School are being recognized for high achievement. Along with test scores, the schools were evaluated on other measures such as overall school program, assessment, curriculum, instructional methods and professional development.
“This is a historic occasion for the Diocese of Raleigh,’ said Catholic School Superintendent Dr. Michael J. Fedewa. “Never before have two of our diocesan schools received this prestigious award in the same year. Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School represent what quality Catholic education should be. This recognition is well-deserved by both school communities. The principals, teachers, staffs, students, and parents are to be congratulated.”
The two schools are among the oldest in the Diocese of Raleigh, which serves 8,047 children in eastern North Carolina, from Burlington to the coast, educating a diverse population of students from all faiths, ethnic origins, and economic backgrounds.
“I extend my congratulations to the communities of Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic School and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Schools on the occasion of their recognition as ‘Blue Ribbon Schools” for 2007, said the Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh.
“This is indeed an honor and the entire Diocese of Raleigh is proud of their accomplishments. These schools are not only worthy to be honored for their academic excellence, but for their strong Catholic identity as well. May they continue to be institutions where Jesus Christ is the reason for their existence.”
Donna Moss, Principal of Sacred Heart Cathedral Catholic School, and Dr. Robert Scripko, Principal of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, said the recognition is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of everyone associated with the schools and the parish communities which support them.
About Sacred Heart Cathedral School:
Sacred Heart Cathedral School was founded in 1909 in a two-room schoolhouse. It moved to its present campus in downtown Raleigh in 1939. It was the first school in North Carolina to educate Native American children and the first Catholic School to integrate when high school students from St. Monica’s School began attending Cathedral School in the 1950’s. Even today, Cathedral School is recognized as the hallmark of ethnic and racial diversity among Raleigh’s private schools. Web site: www.cathedral-school.net
About Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School:
Under the educational leadership of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School was founded in 1954 on land given to the Diocese of Raleigh by the Fallon family. It has remained at its present location within the Raleigh beltline since its foundation. Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School began with one class per grade level in a single building and has grown to its present enrollment of 514 students consisting of two classes per grade level (K-8) in two buildings. For the past fifty-three years, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School has provided the students of Raleigh and the surrounding areas a quality Catholic education. With a proud past, it looks forward to a bright future. Web site: www.olls.org
|
Above: Part of student body at Sacred Heart Cathedral School celebrating news of its selection as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School.
Below: Students, teachers and staff at Our Lady of Lourdes celebrate Blue Ribbon honor.
|