Adrian Elementary...Top Eight in the State!

Adrian Elementary Teachers were recognized by Superintendent Don Lile.  

The school was one of eight in the State of Missouri to receive the 

Gold Star and Blue Ribbon Awards.

Last Thursday, November 3, an assembly was held to celebrate a very special honor for Adrian Elementary.  Because of the exceptional teaching and learning by our teachers and students, the school was awarded the Gold Star and Blue Ribbon Awards.  Eight schools in the entire state received this prestigious award for high performance on state tests in English Language Arts and Math the last two years.  Elementary Principal Connie Reynolds and 5th Grade Teacher Treva Smith traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to accept a national award as well.

Thank you to our students and teachers for their tremendous dedication!  It's a great day to be a Blackhawk!

*********************************************************************************

With a whole lot of emotion and pride, Superintendent Don Lile delivered this speech during the assembly:

Dear Staff, Students, School Board Members, Parents, Community Members and Guests:

Welcome to a very special celebration. I have some exciting news about our elementary school to share with you today. The Adrian Elementary is one of eight schools in the State of Missouri to be honored with the Gold Star and Blue Ribbon Awards for the 2015- 16 school year due to exceptional student achievement at the elementary level.

The Gold Star award is an honor given by the State of Missouri for our high performance on state tests in the subjects of reading (English Language Arts) and mathematics for the last two years. By meeting these targets and receiving the Gold Star Award by the state of Missouri and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this made the Adrian Elementary eligible for the National Blue Ribbon award which we will receive on November 7 and 8 in Washington D.C.

National Blue Ribbon Schools shine under a national spotlight for all the right reasons. The award acknowledges and validates the hard work of students, educators, families, and communities in striving for—and attaining—exemplary achievement. For many, attaining the National Blue Ribbon School award is the realization of a long-held dream.

National Blue Ribbon Schools serve as models for other schools throughout the nation, and school personnel are often sought out as mentors. Their applications are posted on the U.S. Department of Education's website, and media eagerly profile recognized schools, helping the school, its district, and community gain additional exposure. Representatives from the Adrian Elementary  School will be honored at an annual awards ceremony held in Washington, DC. The Adrian Elementary School will receive an engraved plaque and program flag with the official seal, which signifies its status and the year of its award.

The requirements for the Blue Ribbon award are as follows:
The performance of all tested students in the school in the most recent year tested in both reading (English language arts) and mathematics must be in the top 15 percent of all schools in the state when schools are ranked based on the performance of all tested students.

For each of the school's subgroups, the performance of all tested students in the subgroup in the most recent year tested in both reading (English language arts) and mathematics must be in the top 40 percent of all schools in the state when schools are ranked based on the performance of tested students in that subgroup.

At this time, I would like all of the elementary teachers to come up on stage so I can present them with the Gold Star Plaque from the state of Missouri.

Without the work of these teachers, earning these awards would not be possible.

Also, I would ask that you all give our elementary students a round of applause for their hard work and academic enthusiasm.

I would like to personally thank all of the staff, students, parents, school board members, and community members for all they have done to make the Adrian School District a great place to raise a family and earn an outstanding education.