Rochester Community Schools Receives Two National Blue Ribbon Schools Designations

Rochester Community Schools has been notified by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) that two of the district’s schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2014, based on their overall academic excellence, according to a press release received by Rochester Media. Van Hoosen Middle School and Musson Elementary School are among the 337 public and private schools selected by the USDE and are among eight Michigan schools nominated by the Michigan Department of Education to receive the National Blue Ribbon designation.

According to the USDE, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students either achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content.

“Rochester Community Schools is recognized in both Oakland County and the state of Michigan as a top performing district, and we are both pleased and gratified that two of our schools have met the high standards set by the National Blue Ribbon Program,” said Robert Shaner, Superintendent of Rochester Community Schools. “We can attribute this honor to the dedication, hard work and support of our teachers, administrators, students and parents at Van Hoosen and Musson.”

In early March 2014, Van Hoosen principal Daniel Mooney and Musson principal Victoria Righter were notified that the MDE had nominated their schools for National Blue Ribbon recognition. “We are honored and privileged to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, “said Daniel Mooney, Van Hoosen principal. “This is testament to our students’ and teachers’ hard work and dedication toward excellence in learning. The Rochester Community Schools community can be proud of their contributions to our success.”

Administrators and teachers in both schools completed a comprehensive application and submitted it to the USDE in June. Musson principal, Victoria Righter, commented, “This honor reflects the collaborative spirit of Musson’s students, educators, parents and RCS colleagues. The District’s priorities of high student empowered expectations, comprehensive interventions for at-risk students and strong relationships synthesize to make this level of achievement possible in all of our buildings.”

The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools. A total of 420 schools nationwide may be nominated, with allocations determined by the numbers of K-12 students and schools in each jurisdiction. For complete information and a list of all of the schools recognized, please click on the following link:  http://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html

Rochester Community Schools is extremely proud of the National Blue Ribbon Recognition and will honor Musson and Van Hoosen at the Board of Education meeting on October 13, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the Harrison Room, 501 West University. The schools are also working with the PTA to plan individual celebrations.

About Sarah Hovis

Freelance wordsmith, arts appreciator, grammar geek, sports spectator, stationery snob, and world traveler, Sarah charts her own course as the owner of saliho creative. She uses her creative mind and engaging dialogue to fearlessly bring the written word to life in print and online… all while keeping a watchful eye out for the next literary adventure. You can reach her at sarah@rochestermedia.com.

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