The outstanding academic environment of St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, has earned it the distinguished honor of being named one of 2010’s national Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence.

St. Ann was chosen as one of 314 schools nationwide – only 50 of which were private schools – to receive the 2010 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School award.

The winners were announced by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan Sept. 9, and St. Ann will be formally honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Nov. 15-16.

“It is a unique honor for the St. Ann School community to be recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence,” said JoAnn Tier, diocesan secretary for Catholic education and superintendent of Catholic schools.

“The recognition speaks of the dedication and focus of the principal, Jack McKenna, and the teachers, staff, and parents who worked in concert to realize this achievement," she said. “Congratulations are also extended to (St. Ann pastor) Father Vince Gartland for his support of this program and in continuing to provide the means for an exceptional environment for Catholic education."

The Blue Ribbon award recognizes elementary, middle and high schools nationwide that have demonstrated high levels of academic achievement.

To be eligible, schools must demonstrate that they have met Adequate Yearly Progress standards under the No Child Left Behind Act and, in the case of private schools, must be within the top 10 percent of the nation in standardized test scores.

Eligible schools must also demonstrate a clear vision and sense of mission, a challenging and up-todate curriculum, evidence of family involvement and a commitment to helping all students achieve high standards in a safe environment that is conducive to learning.

St. Ann, which uses the national Terra Nova standardized test in the areas of math, reading and language arts, saw students in grades two through eight achieve scores that were 62-80 percent above the national reported norm in 2009.

Jack McKenna, principal of St. Ann School, attributes their continued success and academic achievement to the sense of collaboration between faculty, staff, parents and students.

“Everybody really works together to make this school a great place to be,” McKenna said. “Not only does that show in test scores, but in many other ways too.”

In particular, McKenna said, the students’ have shown a continued commitment to serving others in the community. The Blue Ribbon award, he added, is a recognition of the school’s ability to offer high quality academics while stressing the hallmarks of Catholic education.

“I think it gives testament to the fact that we are a Catholic school first and foremost, and with that we want to instill in all the kids who come to our school a love for God, a love for self and a love for others,” McKenna said. “I think the academics are the icing on the cake in all of that.”

St. Ann is the first Catholic school in the Diocese of Trenton to be named a Blue Ribbon school since the honor was given to the now-closed Sacred Heart School, Trenton, more than 20 years ago. St. Ann is the only Catholic school in New Jersey to be recognized this year.