MPE named ‘Blue Ribbon’ school

Not one, but two schools in Acadia Parish have attained National Blue Ribbon recognition by the United States Department of Education.
Rayne’s Martin Petitjean Elementary and South Crowley Elementary were both named among the six Louisiana schools of the national 2015 honorees.
All schools recognized will be honored Nov. 9 and 10 during an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., where each will receive an engraved plaque and flag signifying its status as a 2015 Blue Ribbon School.
“This is simply amazing, almost unbelievable,” stated Acadia Parish Superintendent John Bourque during the Tuesday morning pep rally held Sept. 29, at Martin Petitjean Elementary. “Everyone has helped, from the staff to the parents to this community, for these students to attain this award. It’s just a blessing.”
The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors schools that are either high-performing or have closed achievement gaps, especially among minority or disadvantaged students. The year-long process began with the nomination of Martin Petitjean to the USDOE, followed by the announcement on Tuesday.
Schools are recognized in one of two performance categories: (1) Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among the state’s highest-performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a school’s subgroups and all students over the past five years. (2) Exemplary High Performing Schools are among the state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments. Student subgroup performance and high school graduation rates are also at the highest levels.
Martin Petitjean Elementary School, Acadia Parish was named as an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School.
“I’m just so proud of our students,” stated MPE Principal Kim Cummins following Tuesday’s announcement. “And I have nodoubt of the acheivements of our students are a direct result of our dedicated staff. They are incredible.”
Cummins continued, “Our teachers and staff believe in our students and push them to become the best they can be. They believe that regardless of the circumstances they may face outside of school, they can still excel in their studies and become leaders as they have proven over and over again.”
“We want to congratulate these schools and districts for earning this distinguished honor, proving again our students are as smart and capable as any in America,” said State Superintendent John White. “The outstanding efforts of the students, faculty, and administration at these schools demonstrate the high level of academic achievement that can be accomplished with hard work, determination, and a shared desire to succeed.”
For 2015, the USDOE selected the six schools from Louisiana that fit into one of those two categories. Martin Petitjean and South Crowley were both selected under the Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools category.
Martin Petitjean Elementary was recognized as a school that is empowering its students to success. Coming from predominately low-income homes, students in first, second and third grades at Martin Petitjean Elementary School are empowered through the Leader in Me program, and as a result, excel. The students maintain Leadership Notebooks for personal data tracking and goal setting.
Towards the end of the 2012-2013 school year, Martin Petitjean Elementary was named the first Leader In Me Lighthouse School in the state of Louisiana, joining only 50 Lighthouse schools around the world at that time.
The Franklin Covey” Leader In Me (LIM) program has become a popular school improvement process used in K-12 schools worldwide. Currently, LIM has been implemented in schools throughout the world, with only a few having achieved Lighthouse status.
“Leader In Me” is an innovative, school-wide model that emphasizes a culture of student empowerment and helps unleash each child’s full potential. With its local funding beginning in the Fall of 2010 by United Way, MPE students have attained tools they need to be the most effective leaders they can be.
“I have no doubt our school was acknowledged as a Blue Ribbon School because of the direct results of the Leader In Me program,” stated Cummins. “The program provides both our teachers and students the tools needed to expand their teaching and learning capibilities.”
The four remaining Louisiana schools honored were Pointe-Aux-Chenes Elementary School, Terrebonne Parish; Baton Rouge Magnet High School, East Baton Rouge Parish; Benjamin Franklin High School, Orleans Parish; and LSU Laboratory School, East Baton Rouge Parish.