One of only six schools in the state to be honored

Published October 3, 2019

By JILLIAN STRING

NORTH READING — The E. Ethel Little School was deemed a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education on September 26.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the names of the 362 winning schools across the nation via video message.

The Little School is one of only six schools in Massachusetts to receive the honor for 2019.

“We are very excited about our designation as a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. Most importantly, being recognized as an ‘Exemplary High Performing School’ is an honor that showcases the hard work of faculty, staff, students, and parents,” Little School Principal Chris Molle told the Transcript.

“No one accomplishes anything alone and we are so lucky to work in a community where everyone works together in the best interest of students,” Molle added.

Superintendent Jon Bernard stated that he, as well as Assistant Superintendent Patrick Daly and Director of Student Services Cynthia Conant, met Molle at the Little School last Thursday to play DeVos’s video message for the staff and students.

“I am extremely proud,” Bernard said. “It’s validation of people’s good work.”

In an email to the school community, Bernard congratulated the town for its efforts and offered special congratulations to the students for coming to school prepared to learn each day and for taking full advantage of the opportunities provided to them by the district.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, since 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has recognized public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.

Every year the U.S. Department of Education seeks out and celebrates schools demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels. More than 9,000 schools across the country have been presented with this award.

In addition to the E. Ethel Little School, the five other schools to receive this national designation in Massachusetts for 2019 were the Charles J. Prescott Elementary School in Norwood; Community Day Charter Public School – R. Kingman Webster in Lawrence; Downey School in Westwood; Harrington Elementary School in Lexington; and Westhampton Elementary School in Westhampton.

Bernard, Daly, and Molle will represent the Little School at a national conference for the award-winning schools in the Washington, D.C. area on November 14 and 15.

“We may be ‘Little’ but we do ‘big’ things,” Molle said.