Posted: Oct. 13, 2009 |(0) Comments

Germantown — After marching off buses in an orderly fashion, students lined up outside County Line Elementary School.

Then, bus drivers told the students to get back on the buses to get their belongings.

Starting the day with bus evacuation drills, County Line students and staff showcased one of the reasons it is a National Blue Ribbon School.

A safe environment is one attribute of an award-winning school, Mary Bell, Wisconsin Education Association Council president, said during her visit to County Line on Oct. 7.

"That environment makes it a great place," Bell said. "Then learning falls into place."

The Blue Ribbon Schools program honors private and public schools. Public schools must have students achieving in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests or at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds demonstrating dramatic improvement on state tests.

County Line students achieved in the top 10 percent of the state on tests, like the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination. Nationwide, 314 schools - 264 public and 50 private - received the Blue Ribbon designation this year.

"When we talk about what's right in education, we want a model," Bell said, calling County Line such a model.

During the tour, parent volunteers served popcorn to students from a wagon.

"(The award) says a lot about the commitment of the community," Bell said.

Principal Cathy Schultz said parents are in the school on a regular basis.

"Parents are wonderfully supportive," she said.

Sometimes parents come in for lunch with children, especially on Salisbury steak day, she said.

"The community really supports our school," Schultz said. "They see what our children can accomplish."

Schultz said the school's class sizes also contributed to the award.

"I don't have anything bigger than 24 (students)," Schultz said.

Schultz said the board has allowed additional aide time in grades where classes exceed the class size policy. For example, in first grade, the district's preference is to have 15 to 21 students per class and ideally no more than 23.

Schultz also attributed before- and after-school programs, such as Spanish, German and technology courses, with helping the students perform at higher levels.

"We have 30 to 40 kids on any given afternoon taking advantage of these activities," Schultz said.

Staff raises its game

It seems the staff - from custodians and bus drivers to guidance counselors and teachers - also is a big part of what makes the difference.

"Everyone here loves kids," Schultz said.

To maintain the high level of achievement, teachers are creating professional development communities, where teachers at the same grade level, for example, can collaborate on instruction and monitor the progress among students.

She said teachers also are forming leadership teams to focus on operations, curriculum, technology and celebratory aspects.

"Teachers work very hard," Schultz said. "There is a lot of thought behind what they do with kids."

She credits the food service program staff, bus drivers, secretaries, school nurses, guidance and custodians and anyone else who works at the school.

Former Principal Pat Seghers, who retired in June after 16 years with the school, was the guiding force behind the school's application for Blue Ribbon designation, Schultz said.

Seghers had a different leadership style, Schultz said, but "both (of our leadership styles) are conducive to a high-performing school."

Third-grade teacher Bruce Endlich, whom Schultz called a key contributor to the school, will go with Schultz and Seghers to collect the award at a ceremony Nov. 3 in Washington, D.C.

Kids work hard

To celebrate the award, the school created a mural of a handprints rainbow floating on clouds.

The students' handprints make up the rainbow, and the clouds are made up of handprints from the adults working in the building. There are 509 handprints on the mural.

The mural reads: "We all had a hand in becoming a Blue Ribbon School."

At a glance

WHAT: Blue Ribbon School celebration

WHEN: 10 a.m. Oct. 15

WHERE: County Line Elementary School, N9939 Butternut Road