Award surprises three area elementary schools

Annie McCallum / Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: January 10, 2008

Three schools in Amherst and Appomattox counties were among 89 statewide to earn the Governor's Award for Educational Excellence, which caught some area administrators by surprise Thursday morning.

"I haven't even gotten it in writing," said Appomattox Elementary School Principal Annette Bennett, whose school was among those recognized.

Bennett's school, along with Elon Elementary and Pleasant View Elementary schools in Amherst County, were those locally to achieve the distinction.

When reached by phone Thursday morning Bennett said she had just received the news.

"We're ecstatic," she said.

The award, part of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's "competence to excellence" agenda, recognizes schools that achieve all federal and state benchmarks for two consecutive years and meet standards put in place by the governor, including achievement goals in reading at the elementary level.

Pleasant View Elementary Principal Kelly Holmes hadn't heard the news yet when reached by phone Thursday morning. After checking his e-mail, he indeed saw a message from the superintendent with the announcement.

"I'm very excited and I think this is representative of the hard work of community, faculty and staff and most of all students," he said.

Holmes said the news would be officially announced at an assembly this morning and a celebration would be planned for the future.

"We all work together to maintain very high standards," he said. "It goes back to the teamwork approach that we take and it's something our school and school district and school board take very seriously."

Going above and beyond minimum standards is exactly what Elon Elementary Principal Ashley Wallace said is behind her school's success.

"It's pretty exciting to see that, and this is now evidence we are doing a good job of that," she said.

Her school is also planning a celebration to recognize the team effort that made the school an award winner.

The winning schools will receive a display banner and a signed resolution of commendation by Kaine, according to a statement released Thursday.

"Students in these schools are soaring far beyond the minimum requirements of the Standards of Learning and No Child Left Behind," Kaine said in the statement.

"It speaks to the strength of public education in the Commonwealth that the 89 schools that have earned this distinction include schools in rural, suburban and urban communities and schools in every part of the state."

Also recognized were 475 schools that earned the Board of Education's Virginia Index of Performance Excellence Award, including schools in Amherst, Bedford, Campbell and Nelson counties and the city of Lynchburg.

Schools recognized for the VIP Excellence Award have made significant progress toward achievement standards set by the governor.

Another 322 schools were honored with VIP Competence to Excellence Awards, which indicates those schools are making progress toward achieving the governor's objectives. Locally, those awards included schools in Amherst, Bedford and Campbell counties and the city of Lynchburg.