Park Ridge Catholic school touts its ‘Blue Ribbon’ status
By JENNIFER JOHNSON jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com February 9, 2012 2:54PM
Mary, Seat of Wisdom School students sing "Our God is an Awesome God" during a Feb. 2 assembly celebrating their 2011 National Blue Ribbon School recognition for academic excellence. | Rob Hart~Sun Times Media
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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:04AM
With blue ribbons affixed to their uniforms, students from Mary, Seat of Wisdom Catholic School in Park Ridge celebrated their school’s 2011 National Blue Ribbon award with a special assembly Feb. 2.
“It really is overwhelming to see a wonderful school as this,” said Tim Tutten, director of special projects, partnerships and events for the U.S. Department of Education as he addressed the student body. Tutten said Mary, Seat of Wisdom’s designation as a National Blue Ribbon School was based in large part on how students perform academically, but he also acknowledged the school’s philanthropy, highlighting the more than $7,000 raised for H2O for Life, an organization that partners United States schools with schools in developing countries that are in need of clean water and sanitation.
The assembly included recognition from Sal Guccione, assistant superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Mary, Seat of Wisdom Principal Judy Schutter, who credited students for their hard work in achieving high test scores in English and math.
“You are the major reason we are a Blue Ribbon School,” Schutter said.
The assembly also featured performances from the MSW choir and strings ensemble, and the school was led in prayer by students Ava Pilas, Shelby Stoddard and John Ross. A video, created by students Connor Machey and Sebastyn Partyka with teacher Scott Rosinski, featured photographs and video of students involved in a variety of activities with an opening tag line: “You can travel the world, but you can’t find a better school than Mary, Seat of Wisdom.”
Seventh-grade Student Council members Maggie Carey, Gianna D’Alola, Brooke Ingraham, Margaret Martin, Alyssa Mazzoccoli and Lorcan O’Callaghan each read statements about why they believed MSW was a Blue Ribbon School, from its “outstanding” teachers to the safe environment it provides for learning and growth.
The assembly concluded with the choir leading students in the song “Go, Light Your Candle.”
Mary, Seat of Wisdom and St. Paul of the Cross, also in Park Ridge, were among 315 schools in the nation to receive 2011 Blue Ribbon School awards for academic excellence. St. Paul held a recognition assembly in January.
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