HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail Coorespondence Page 1 of 1
Virginia Bloom
From: Mark Dennis [Mark.Dennis @leusd.k12.ca.us]
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 10:54 AM
To: Virginia Bloom
Cc: Dorri Neal; Gessy Watkins; Mary Griggs; Sandy Fair
Subject: Blue Ribbon recognition confirmation
Hello Virginia,
Both Gessy Watkins, Principal of Withrow Elementary, and Dorri Neal, Principal of William Collier
Elementary, will attend the Mayor's Blue Ribbon recognition presentation on Tuesday, December 13,
during the City Council meeting. Because several teachers have inquired about attending, I wanted you
to know that we've told them that having supporters from both schools in the audience would be a
welcome addition.
Regards,
Mark
Mark E. Dennis
Coordinator of Community and Media Relations
Lake Elsinore Unified School District
0: (951) 253 -7174
C: (951) 285 -8743
F: (951) 253 -7084
E -mail: mark.dennis @leusd.k12.ca.us
n • s,
Sent via LEUSD Enterprise email system. This email is meant for the intended addressee. If you
are not intended to read this email delete immediately please.
11/8/2011
NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS AWARD WINNERS LAKE ELSINORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
City of Lake Elsinore City Council December 13, 2011
WITHROW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL -2010 AWARD WINNER
Gessy Watkins, Principal
In 2010, Withrow Elementary School was one of 304 schools across the country to be named a National
Blue Ribbon School by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Withrow Elementary was one of only 21
schools in California to receive the award, and was the only school in Riverside County to receive the
award in 2010. This achievement was also a first for the Lake Elsinore Unified School District.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools.
Students at Blue Ribbon Schools achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and have
helped close achievement gaps, particularly among disadvantaged and minority students.
Withrow Elementary School, which has also previously been recognized as a Title I Academic Achieving
School, currently serves more than 730 students and has high populations of minority and
socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The school is located within the City of Lake Elsinore.
The 2010 schools were initially nominated for the Blue Ribbon Schools Program in the fall of 2009 on the
basis of their achievement history for 2005 to 2009, but in order for final Blue Ribbon certification, the
schools had to make all of their 2010 Academic Performance Index (API) state targets and all Adequate
Yearly Progress (AYP) federal accountability targets. Withrow Elementary School's API score in 2010 was
899. In 2011, the API score grew to 907, a gain of 8 points.
Withrow Elementary was honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. last November, in addition to
receiving a plaque and a flag to signify its Blue Ribbon School status.
WILLIAM COLLIER ELEMENTARY -2011 AWARD WINNER
Dorri Neal, Principal
William Collier Elementary school has been recognized by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a
2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award winner, the U.S. Department of Education announced in
September.
William Collier Elementary is the district's second elementary school to be recognized as a National Blue
Ribbon Schools Award winner, one of only 21 schools in California to receive this award in 2011. The
school is located in the City of Wildomar, but serves students from both Lake Elsinore and Wildomar
neighborhoods.
Three districts in Riverside County have National Blue Ribbon Awards schools being honored this year.
Representatives from each school will travel to Washington, D.C. to attend a special awards ceremony in
November. Nationally, 255 public schools and 49 private schools are being honored in 2011.
Blue Ribbon talk points_City of Lake Elsinore presentation_12 -13 -11 Page 1 of 2
NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS AWARD WINNERS LAKE ELSINORE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
City of Lake Elsinore City Council December 13, 2011
National Blue Ribbon Schools awards are based on the results of annual state assessments or nationally -
normed tests.
Since 1982, more than 6,500 of America's schools have been recognized for either having significantly
improved performance where at least 40 percent of students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, or
for having high performing students as ranked by each state's highest performing schools.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools award honors public and private schools where the achievement gap
has either been significantly narrowed or eliminated. In 2011, William Collier Elementary had an API of
882, a gain of 22 from the 2010 base year. WCE is one of few schools to have eliminated the
achievement gap among its subgroups, according to national achievement growth targets.
"It's a big deal to us to be honored for closing the achievement gap, and a great day for William Collier
Elementary," said Dr. Frank W. Passarella, LEUSD Superintendent.
Principal Dorri Neal and one other William Collier Elementary school representative will travel to
Washington, D.C. on November 14 and 15, 2011 to attend a special ceremony honoring National Blue
Ribbon Schools.
The Lake Elsinore Unified School District covers more than 144 square miles and educates children in
grades K -12 from the cities of Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake and Wildomar, and several unincorporated
Riverside County communities, including Lakeland Village and Horsethief Canyon. The district serves
nearly 22,000 students and operates 25 different schools, along with alternative education programs, an
online K -12 academy, and a virtual learning center. LEUSD is among the top three performing districts in
Riverside County and was the only large school district in the State of California to exceed federal
academic growth targets in 2011.
Blue Ribbon talk points_City of Lake Elsinore presentation_12 -13 -11 Page 2 of 2