Little School basks in its National Blue Ribbon achievement

Published January 30, 2020

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — The E. Ethel Little School was awash in blue on Monday in honor of the school’s 2019 National Blue Ribbon Award Celebration.

Everywhere you looked, blue was the color of the day. The nearly 350 students, seated row by row and classroom by classroom on the gymnasium floor wore their favorite blue outfits, creating a sea of blue; their teachers wore blue too. And then there was the huge blue ribbon created out of hundreds of construction paper handprints, one for each student and staff member, adorning a formerly blank wall in the gym, the ultimate symbol of how small things when forged together in a spirit of cooperation create the “big” things happening at this “little” school.

Throughout the hour-long assembly stood two large objects hidden beneath blue cloth drapes and placed prominently beside the podium, awaited the big reveal.

It’s fitting that the Little School Labradors embraced all things blue on this day set aside to recognize excellence. Blue ribbons have symbolized the best of the best for time immemorial. If you ever have any doubt, be sure to taste a slice of the blue ribbon apple pie at the next country fair you attend and savor the excellence.

In her welcoming remarks, Little School Principal Christine Molle touched upon the importance of teamwork and togetherness which is a prominent part of the school’s culture that was present when she began as a classroom teacher here 16 years ago and which continues today.

For Molle and the Little School family, Monday marked the culmination of an 18-month process from the time they were selected as one of 52 “schools of recognition” in the state back in September of 2018. She recalled how honored she felt that their school would receive such recognition at the State House and believing that it doesn’t get much better than this. But a few months later, after receiving a frantic text message from Superintendent Jon Bernard informing her to check her email, she learned it does get better.

That’s because the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) had nominated their school for a national blue ribbon award. This is an award given by the U.S. Department of Education since 1982 and in those 37 years, just over 9,000 schools at all grade levels have been awarded the National Blue Ribbon designation.

Getting from nominee to blue ribbon winner was a process in itself. A detailed application process followed. They approached it as a team, with faculty members assisting Molle in creating a 27-page, single spaced document. “I could not have done that without all of you,” she said. Nearly a year later, on September 26, 2019, they were allowed to formally announce that the “E. Ethel Little Elementary School in North Reading has been designated as an ‘Exemplary High Performing School’ and a National Blue Ribbon School for 2019 by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,” she said.

Molle added, “We are one of 362 schools in the nation and one of six schools in Massachusetts to be recognized in 2019. It was truly one of the proudest days of my life and certainly of my career.”

She recalled the day they assembled the students in the cafeteria to hear the video message from DeVos as a “day filled with cheers and tears.”

A trip to Washington, D.C. last fall with then soon to be retired Superintendent Jon Bernard and soon to be incoming Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly was taken to accept the award on behalf of the school. They were honored to spend time with educators from throughout the country for the two day event.

Since they couldn’t bring the entire school community to Washington, D.C. to celebrate, they did the next best thing and brought the celebration to their school.

“This is an award that belongs to everyone at this school. We all had a hand in this achievement,” Molle said, adding that she was grateful for the “arduous application process” because “it afforded me the opportunity to reflect on every aspect of our school. We have a strong curriculum, expanding technology, challenging STEAM initiatives, a robust art and music program, and a commitment to health and wellness.”

Molle thanked the community for supporting all of the town’s schools and for the children who always arrive at school prepared to learn, willing to take risks with desire to have a voice in their education and in pursuing their interests, as well as being kind, well-rounded, empathetic and socially conscious individuals.

The community at large attended the celebration to share in the school’s success, including members of the School Committee, the school district’s administrative team along with Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly and two retired superintendents, Kathy Willis and Jon Bernard, as well as Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto, members of the Select Board and the school’s Parents’ Association. Also invited were Little School sixth grade alumni who came to perform “Dream Big” from “The Greatest Showman” with the the current chorus while a slide show of Little School highlights flashed on the wall over the risers. Molle pointed out that the test scores of these sixth-graders, taken when they were in elementary school, also factored into the award.

The Little School was also honored that Governor Charlie Baker, state Senator Bruce Tarr and state Representative Brad Jones each took the time to attend their ceremony and offer congratulatory remarks.

They were the superstars among the presenters. Gov. Baker entered the room giving the students high-5’s and made sure to thank sixth-grader Zach Emery for his excellent solo rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner on his trumpet. His next order of business was to ask all 348 students to stand up and give their teachers and school staff members a standing ovation for all they do for them.

Baker told the students that this particular award is very special because

“it is given to schools around the country that have done a very remarkable job of closing gaps — opportunity gaps, achievement gaps, performance gaps.”

“In many respects one of the greatest challenges all of us face in public life, especially folks in education, is assuring that we do all we can to make sure that kids have every opportunity to be successful, and a big part of that is making sure that everybody rises up…That’s why this award is such a big deal,” he said.

“There are thousands of schools in Massachusetts, but only six were designated ‘Blue Ribbon Schools.’ And since this program began in 1982, just 37 years ago, over that period of time literally hundreds of thousands of schools have been part of this process of selection; only 9,000 schools have received this award. And amongst the tens of thousands of schools in the United States — a very big place — only 362 received this award this past year. So you all are part of a very special family of schools that have been recognized for your outstanding work,” Baker said.

Baker added, “And for me it is particularly special because Brad Jones, he’s your state representative and a good friend of mine, is a graduate of this school! Every day he does everything he can to work for and represent schools like yours and people like you who are part of this community. In many ways the most important message I can get to the kids is to recognize and understand that you are on a journey, and that journey… is about becoming whatever it is your best self will be as you grow up, and have opportunities to test your wings and find out how, exactly, it will be that you will fly. And today, this award is a big statement about the work that you and your teachers and administrators and everybody else that is part of this school are doing to help assure you all have the best chance you possibly can to fly.”

State Rep. Brad Jones opened his remarks by telling the kids, “This is an awesome day! As Christine and Charlie mentioned, I was fortunate enough to be a graduate of this school a long, long time ago. And I can tell you now that some of the friends I had when I attended this school are still my friends today and I think it speaks to how education is foundational. It’s a foundation for you to build your future’s on. Your education here will build the foundation to go on to the Middle School, High School and beyond. And education is transformational — it can transform your life. It can help take you from one path to another path and to give you the tools you need to make those decisions.”

Jones added that even though the Little School is an older school “it’s still adapting, changing and growing every day and in every way to meet the needs of education in the 21st century.”  This, he added, is a testament to their principal, past and present superintendents, faculty, staff and the PTOs. “I know this is an award that is given to the Little School but I think it is shared by the entire North Reading school system.”

“It’s wonderful to be here at this incredible elementary school that gave rise to Brad Jones!” Sen. Tarr joked.  “When I think about this blue ribbon, I think of it as something that started in Washington and it got pulled all the way to North Reading. Think about all the people that touched it as it got pulled here. Administrators and staff kept pulling on that ribbon to bring it to North Reading; parents, individually and organized as PTOs, pulled on that ribbon and they brought it here. The town administrator and the Board of Selectmen, pulled on that ribbon; and wonderful teachers had their hands on that ribbon, and it winds its way through every part of this community, even to the voters at Town Meeting who do so much to support education. And most of all, to all of you. You’ve got your had on that ribbon and your work pulled it here, by working together, by respecting each other, by caring about each other and by one of the most important things that any of us could ask of you, to keep in your heart how much you love to learn,” Tarr said.

“So the blue ribbon comes all the way here to North Reading from Washington and everyone had their hand on it. Now that it’s here and it winds it way through the community, now the question is what else do you do with the ribbon?” Tarr asked. “Well, you tie the ribbon into a bow, and in the future, and every day from now on, you will tie this blue ribbon into a bow when each of you realizes your dream. And when you do, that will be the finishing great touch on this ribbon and we will be so proud as each of you take everything that has happened to help you and say I realized my dreams because of the Little School and in North Reading schools people care about education and about each other.”

School Committee Chairman Scott Buckley, who is the father of three Little School students, commented that in his house his kids have been talking about this day for about a month. “They never once said it was the blue ribbon award. They said, ‘the governor’s coming; we have to practice for the governor’s visit!”

“With the current chaos in national politics, I think sometimes people forget to separate national politics from local and state government. We’re very fortunate in North Reading to have a wonderful connection with our local and state government,” Buckley said, pointing out how Rep. Jones and Sen. Tarr have both been very helpful in securing funding for the schools, whether it be the one to one initiative or upgrading the security systems at the schools, particularly at the elementary level. “We could not have done that without you,” he said.

Superintendent Dr. Patrick Daly also acknowledged how every person in the room had played a role in bringing this blue ribbon award to the Little School, from the elected officials concerned about bringing the “highest quality curriculum and instruction to our students and also the financial means to do so; our parents and PTOs for providing enrichment opportunities and support for new technology and programs in our classrooms. Our district administrators work every day to remove the roadblocks for our teachers so that they can do what matters most — build relationships with our students and foster that environment for learning. And the Little School Principal, Mrs. Molle, works around the clock to create the culture for this school. I see it in the art shows, the musicals, the choral performances and family fitness nights and the Turkey Trot victories.”

“When you are here you are truly part of team,” Daly said.

“In 2018 in language arts, the students exceeded every target set for them. That means they were suppose to hit the blue circle, but they hit the red and yellow circle as well. In mathematics and in science, once again they exceeded all of their targets. But we do not only measure achievement, we also measure growth. That means no matter where you are there is way for you to set goals and to improve; to do better than we did the year before. Every day we’re in the classroom we’re learning and growing and these measures of growth help us understand that story as well,” noting that the extent of all the collaborative efforts made by the teachers and staff to help the students stay on a path of growth was truly remarkable.

Recently retired Superintendent Jon Bernard stated that the two-day recognition ceremony he attended in Washington, D.C with Molle and Daly in November was “most definitely among the proudest moments of my long career in teaching. I have recalled many, many times the feelings that I had at that time and to this day I remain so proud of this honor, for I continue to believe that this recognition, while specific to the Little School, really is a testament to all that is good in our school district and all of North Reading. Our community cares — it cares about public education, and it cares about our youth and all the citizens of the town.”

The capstone of the celebration was unveiling the objects hidden beneath the blue drapes. Molle invited both Bernard and Daly to do the honors. The first one revealed a handsome bronze plaque featuring the seal of the U.S. Department of Education inscribed with the words “National Blue Ribbon School 2019.” Molle said it would be displayed in the school foyer.

Underneath the larger drape was a full color 3D version of the same seal which will be hung in the main lobby outside the central office at the Little School.

See more photos here.