Our Lady of the Greenwood School is named National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

By John Shaughnessy

The honor list continues to grow for Catholic education in the archdiocese as Our Lady of the Greenwood School in Greenwood has earned recognition as a 2010 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U. S. Department of Education.

When this year’s Blue Ribbon Schools were announced on Sept. 9, Our Lady of the Greenwood School became the 26th school in the archdiocese to receive that honor—a distinction that no other diocese in the country can match.

“It’s wonderful when our exemplary Catholic schools receive national attention,” said Harry Plummer, the executive director of Catholic education and faith formation for the archdiocese. “More than a third of our schools have received this honor. That’s the highest concentration of Blue Ribbon Schools of any diocese in the nation.

“This honor is a secular confirmation of the high quality of Catholic school education. It also affirms our parents’ decision to continue choosing Catholic school education.”

Plummer said he was delighted for the Our Lady of the Greenwood School community. He saluted its “rich tradition of academic excellence.”

His pride was shared by Annette “Mickey” Lentz, the chancellor of the archdiocese, who had also been the executive director of Catholic education and faith formation until the beginning of July.

“Since we have the most Blue Ribbon awards across the country, it is another indication that the Archdiocese of Indianapolis continues to be on the cutting edge of education reform,” Lentz said.

Our Lady of the Greenwood School will be among the 304 schools—254 public and 50 private—that will be honored at an awards ceremony on Nov. 15-16 in Washington, D.C.

“We’re very excited,” said Kent Clady, the principal of Our Lady of the Greenwood School. “For us, it’s an affirmation of all the things we already know about our school.

“We’re blessed with a very hard-working group of students who always try to reach our expectations. And the staff certainly has a huge role in this honor. Their efforts in professional development and their overall dedication to our students have really opened some significant doors to meet the individual needs of our students. The parents also had a key role in supporting the work of the school to achieve this result.”

The school planned to celebrate the Blue Ribbon honor with “All Blue Day” events on Sept 17. There are 420 students in the school, which serves children from preschool through eighth grade.

The Blue Ribbon School award “honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.”

The list of the 2010 honored schools was announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

“Our nation has a responsibility to help all children realize their full potential,” Duncan said on Sept. 9. “Schools honored with the Blue Ribbon Schools award are committed to achievement, and to ensuring that students learn and succeed. Their work reflects the conviction that every child has promise and must receive a quality education.” †