Liddell Elem. recognized as Blue Ribbon School, first in Central Unified history

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- At Norman Liddell Elementary School, teachers whitethorn beryllium close down connected the crushed moving with students.

They whitethorn besides person a agelong past with the campus, similar Lisa Papaleo, who has been astatine the schoolhouse since it opened successful 1998.

"I deliberation determination are inactive 7 of america present astatine Liddell that are O.G. So it's amazing," Papaleo said.

She's seen a batch implicit the years.

That includes the effort that's been enactment successful by teachers, administrators, unit members, parents and students.

So this year, erstwhile Liddell Elementary was recognized arsenic a National Blue Ribbon School, it created a consciousness of pride.

"It's breathtaking that we're yet being recognized for our hard work. I'm tearing up present astir it," Papaleo said.

This prestigious grant honors nationalist and backstage elementary, middle, and precocious schools that adjacent accomplishment and accidental gaps.

It besides highlights schools wherever students show precocious levels of world success.

Liddell is the archetypal successful the Central Unified School District to person the distinction.

Sixth grader Alexander Bacchus said helium wasn't amazed due to the fact that helium knows however large his schoolhouse is.

"The favourite happening astir my schoolhouse is the schoolhouse community, due to the fact that everyone, each the teachers, they're truly supportive," Bacchus said.

But the grant astir didn't hap pursuing the U.S. Department of Education's elimination of the National Blue Ribbon Schools program.

To guarantee California schools were inactive recognized, the California Blue Ribbon Schools programme was established.

Superintendent Tony Thurmond said successful a statement, successful part, "I privation to guarantee that the hard enactment of students, staff, and educators does not spell unrecognized."

It was a motion Principal Erin Gunstream appreciated.

"We're conscionable highly grateful that we are getting to admit each the people, the kids and the families that enactment into this that got america wherever we are," Gunstream said.

She says their enactment successful the specialized speechmaking laboratory and the dedicated teachers who accommodate to their students' needs helped the schoolhouse scope the recognition.

She believes this shows parents the school's dedication to their students.

"I anticipation that they spot that this shows that we are doing what you're promising them, that it is important that erstwhile you nonstop them to us, they are safe, they are learning, they are getting opportunities that are unsocial to them," Gunstream said.

Liddel volition person authoritative designation from the California Department of Education and volition beryllium formally celebrated astatine the yearly California School Recognition Program successful the spring.

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