2004

Blue Ribbon Ceremony and Prayer Service
Friday, November 19, 2004

Opening song  Enter the Journey
St. Joseph School (Crescent Springs Kentucky) choir
~
Opening Prayer
Student Council
~
Introduction and recognition of officials present
Father Jan Schmidt, Pastor
~
Presentation of plaque
Brother Joseph Kamis SM, Superintendent of Catholic Schools
~
Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord
St. Joseph School choir
~
Gospel Reading
Student Council
~
We Lift Your Name on High, Lord
St. Joseph School choir
~
Presentation of certificates to faculty and staff    
Brother Joseph Kamis and Mrs. Mary Hedger, Principal
~
Presentation of flag
Brother Joseph Kamis SM
~
Closing Prayer
Prayer Before an Awesome God
~
Awesome God
St. Joseph School choir
 

Opening Prayer	Father Jan	Brother Joseph Kamis

 

Mrs. Nancy Goebel, Mrs. Mary Hedger, Brother Joseph Kamis with plaque

Gospel Reading	Mrs. Hedger, Mrs. Feller, Brother Joseph Kamis	Mrs. Hedger, Mrs. Goebel, Mrs. Pschesang	Brother Joseph Kamis, Ms. Sue Homan	Mrs. Hedger and Brother Joseph Kamis	Mrs. Hedger and Mrs. Goebel

Presentation of flag, Mrs. Connelly and Mrs. Hirschauer	Student Council presents Mrs. Hedger with a dozen red roses

Members of St. Joseph choir perform	Closing prayer

Asst. Superintendents Mrs. Adele Iwanusa and Mrs.Pat Armstrong enjoy brunch	St. Joseph choir members enjoy brunch	St. Joseph choir members

Asst. Superintendent Sr. Helen Lucille Habig	Brother Joseph Kamis and Tom Brinkman, District Representative	Mrs. Goebel and Officer Bob Goettke

Thanks to our PTO, the Wulfe Brothers performed for our student body and our guests ...
 

[photogallery/photo8709/real.htm]

                                                          Mary Hedger"
 

Thank you, parents, for all of the congratulatory notes and e-mails. The No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School Award is a national recognition given by the U. S. Department of Education. This award acknowledges our efforts for academic excellence and recognizes the commitment of faculty and staff toward achieving that excellence.

Needless to say, this award is difficult to achieve, and it serves as national confirmation of what we as a faculty and staff have accomplished to best serve our students. Mrs. Hedger and Mrs. Hirschauer, who has been a teacher here for 29 years, will travel to Washington D.C. in November to receive the award at the White House.

Thank you to our PTO . . . not only did they place
blue ribbons on every possible surface of our campus upon learning our news . . . they will be helping with “Blue Day” the first of many celebrations!

In order to apply for this award, private schools must have standardized test scores in the top 10% in the nation.   Once that was verified, Mrs. Hedger applied to CAPE, then wrote the application which was accepted in January, 2004.  CAPE nominated 50 schools and the Chief State School Offices nominated 321 public schools.  Those applications were forwarded to The Department of Education in the spring of 2004, and 255 schools were selected for the NCLB-BRS award. (Data provided September 17, 2004; check the Dept. of Education web site for updated information as it becomes available.)

In addition to demographic and testing statistics, the application included a narrative that promoted and detailed faculty commitment, indicators of academic success, use of assessment data for improvement, curriculum, and the use of instructional methods to improve learning.

 As parents, you are to be congratulated for your willingness to cooperate with the school and for your dedication to doing all that you can to make sure we have whatever it takes to give each child the best education possible. 

The Post
Saturday, September 18, 2004

Blue ribbons for 2 schools
Post staff report

     Two Cincinnati schools have joined an elite group.
   The schools have made the ranks of U.S. Blue-Ribbon award winners for 2004.
Terrace Park Elementary in Mariemont and Immaculate Heart of Mary in Anderson Township are among the more than 250 schools that have been named No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools for 2004.
    The Blue Ribbon Schools program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing achievement gaps or whose students achieve at very high levels.
      The schools are selected based on three assessment criteria:

•  Having at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds dramatically improve performance to a high level on state assessments, as determined by the state school chief.

The Cincinnati Enquirer
Saturday, September 18, 2004

AWARD WINNERS
Schools honored for achievement

Two local schools have been named U.S. Department of Education No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools of 2004.  Terrace Park Elementary in the Mariemont district and Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Anderson Township are among 250 schools nationwide to receive the designation.  The program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels.

The Cincinnati Enquirer
Monday, September 27, 2004

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Terrace Park Elementary
By Perry Schaible
Enquirer contributor

     Achieving "Blue Ribbon" status is more than just a milestone for Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Anderson Township.
     "Basically it's not the end of the goal, it's the beginning of continuing expectations," Principal Mary Hedger said. Her school, and Terrace Park Elementary in the Mariemont City Schools, were among 17 Ohio schools - and the only ones in Greater Cincinnati - to win the national 2004 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools award. Both schools marked the achievement with celebrations over the past week.
     Two Kentucky schools, both in Louisville, were honored.
    The program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap, or whose students achieve at high levels. More than 250 schools nationwide received the honor this year.
     Hedger set a three-year goal to make IHM a Blue Ribbon School when she arrived in 2001.
    She has worked with staff to implement "best practices," teaching techniques used to meet the individual needs of students, into the school's curriculum to increase student achievement.
     "Really, the award is about the kids and the teachers," Hedger said.
     The Catholic elementary has 637 students in grades 1-8.
    The award is nothing new to the Mariemont City School District. Mariemont High School has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School three times, but this year is a first for Terrace Park Elementary.
     School officials held an assembly for staff and students last week with Kristine Cohn, a U.S. Department of Education regional representative, and Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, attending.
     "It officially recognizes us as an outstanding, successful academic environment," said Superintendent Gerald Harris. "It's good for both the school and the district because all our schools have the same program."
     Third-grade teacher Kathy Coates, who has taught at Terrace Park Elementary for 18 years, said the award is a culmination of teamwork.
     "We attribute our success to a combination of dedicated and talented teachers and staff, students ready to learn and parents who give us total support," she said.
      The principals and a teacher from each school will be recognized in October in a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Forest Hills Journal
September 2004

IHM celebrates first Blue Ribbon Award
Amy Monahan, Staff Reporter

ANDERSON TWP. -  Immaculate Heart of Mary School  is awash in blue.
     Blue carnations, blue slushies and blue balloons were scheduled to blanket the school today in celebration of its first No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Award.
     One of only 50 nominees for the U.S. Department of Education's distinction this year, the award recognizes that Immaculate Heart students' test scores are in the top 10 percent in the nation. 
     The award also acknowledges and honors school leadership,  faculty credentials and practices,  curriculum, school culture and parental involvement.
     Learning of the school's award last week when U.S. Rep. Rob Portman called to congratulate them, Mary Hedger, co-principal of academic affairs, said it was an immediate celebration.
     "We were ecstatic.  As soon as Rob Portman called, I just knew we had gotten it," she said.
     The last three years, the school has been working to enhance professional development, make sure teachers collaborate and use best practices, Hedger said.
     "It requires a lot of hard work" she said. "This award really belongs to the teachers and the school.  It's about the people who actually have to buy into that vision."
     Besides a celebration for teachers and students today, a formal ceremony will be planned for a later date.

Forest Hills Journal
September  29, 2004

Educational Assistants
Mrs. Marian Clark and Mrs. Sue Bromen

Immaculate Heart of Mary School celebrated their No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education with a day of celebration.  Teachers wore T-shirts noting, "I am the reason IHM is a Blue Ribbon School," while blue balloons rounded out the decorations.  The award recognizes students' high test scores, school leadership, curriculum and other factors.

The Catholic Telegraph
October 1, 2004

Blue abounds at Immaculate Heart of Mary

IHM School receives national education award

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES DEANERY —  It was a blue day in Anderson Township in late September, when Immaculate Heart of Mary School celebrated its being awarded the United States Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon School designation for the 2004-2005 school year. Blue balloons were posted throughout the school to commemorate the award.
     The school has an enrollment of 636 students in grades 1 through 8. Father Jan Schmidt, pastor at IHM, noted that the school has been achieving the kinds of accolades needed for this most recent award through years of diligence and hard work.
     “We’re all very proud of the administration, teachers, students and parents. It’s a well-deserved award,” he said.
     The Blue Ribbon School honor is based upon school leadership, faculty credentials and practices, curriculum, school culture, and parent involvement. Immaculate Heart of Mary School was one of 50 nominees nationwide, and one of 256 schools designated as a 2004-2005 Blue Ribbon School.
     In November, Mary Hedger and Carol Hirschauer will travel to Washington, D.C. to receive the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools Award at the White House.
     “Immaculate Heart of Mary School recognizes that this award would not have been possible without the dedication and support of the entire school community.” said Hedger. 
     “We thank our school parents who recognize the importance of growth and change as being necessary for educational excellence, and our students who work hard to reach their full potential.
     “And, most of all, we thank the faculty and staff. Without these dedicated individuals, this award would not have been possible. They are a group of professionals who are constantly striving to learn and improve, who are committed to the spiritual and academic growth of our students, who are willing to work collaboratively for the benefit of our students, and who can laugh together and enjoy being educators.”
     The school celebrated the recognition with a Blue Ribbon Day on Sept. 22 sponsored by the Parent Teacher Organization.
     For more information on Immaculate Heart of Mary School and the Blue Ribbon Award, please contact Mary Hedger at 513-388-4096.

Sent:           Friday, September 17, 2004 1:31 PM
To:              Mary Hedger, Principal
Subject:      Congratulations from CAPE

Congratulations on your school being named a No Child Left Behind—Blue Ribbon School! The U.S. Department of Education released the list of winning schools on its Web site today.

Your school community must be on cloud nine. We at the Council for American Private Education join you in celebrating your school's success.

You, your staff, students, and parents should be proud and pleased that your efforts to deliver the highest quality education are not only successful, but are an example to others.

Again, congratulations and best wishes to your entire community. I look forward to seeing you in Washington for the national recognition ceremony next month. The USDE will advise you of details soon.

Sincerely,
Joe McTighe
Executive Director
Council for American Private Education (CAPE)