LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Oct. 1, 2016)—U.S. Secretary of Education, John B. King, Jr., announced Wednesday that White Marsh Elementary School has been named a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School. White Marsh is one among 279 public and 50 private schools receiving this honor.
This past December, White Marsh was recognized as one of six schools across the state for the 2016 Maryland Blue Ribbon School for its academic achievement. From this selection, schools are nominated for the national award by the Maryland State Department of Education.
The school's principal, Ms. Cheryl Long, said of this honor, "The ongoing commitment that White Marsh staff have to their students, our families, and each other is evident in every classroom every day. White Marsh is truly an amazing place for learning. We are all extremely excited to be recognized at this level and look forward to celebrating this special honor with our families."
Superintendent J. Scott Smith congratulated the school community saying, "We are incredibly proud of White Marsh Elementary. The staff and students are committed to excellence, and this recognition reflects the hard work and focus on learning that occurs every day."
Ms. Long and a fellow staff member will represent White Marsh Elementary at a two-day awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., to celebrate their hard-won achievements.
White Marsh Elementary has had high performance in math and reading proficiency during past MSA administrations with 3rd and 4th grades outperforming the state average on reading and math every year from 2003—2014 and 5th grades outperforming the state average on math from 2004—2014 and in Science from 2008—2015. The school has held 5 consecutive years of Science Fairs, with all students in grades 3-5 participating and at least 15 or more K-2 students doing projects voluntarily. This Maryland Green School employs vertical team scoring of assessments so that teachers see the progression of student learning. Community partnerships support the school's Destination Imagination Program and its Future Leaders of the World mentoring program.