Staff members at New Berlin Elementary School believe teamwork, small classes, traditional teaching methods and new technology contributed to the school being named one of 250 “Blue Ribbon Schools” across the country by the U.S. Department of Education.

The school will be recognized next month in Washington, D.C. On Thursday, the school was visited by Allen Fore, a Chicago-based regional representative of the federal education department.

Fore, speaking at a school assembly, said there is “no one size fits all” formula for a school’s academic success. However, he said schools recognized for blue-ribbon status have motivated teachers and strong leaders. In addition, Fore said, the schools have high expectations of students, use a variety of ways to assess achievement and engage students and parents in the learning process.

“It is very impressive what you have achieved,” Fore told students, teachers, administrators and parents attending the assembly.

Third-grade teacher Ann Hambelton cited the importance of teamwork.

“It starts with pre-kindergarten all the way up to third grade,” she said, because instruction children receive at each grade paves the way for the next level of learning.

Continued improvement by New Berlin third-graders on standardized tests caught first the attention of the Illinois State Board of Education, which nominated New Berlin Elementary and other Illinois schools last spring for consideration for blue-ribbon status.

In 2001-01, 84 percent of New Berlin third-graders met or exceeded state requirements in reading, and 86 percent met or exceeded math requirements. The following year, 84 percent met or exceeded reading requirements, and 91 percent met or exceeded requirements in math. The number was 93 percent in both categories the following year.

About 50 third-graders took the standardized test each of the three years, according to New Berlin Elementary School principal Ron Sczurko. “This is great,” said Sczurko of the school’s national recognition.

School Superintendent Greg Reynolds said smaller class sizes help the learning process. “We try to have less than 15 students in elementary classrooms,” Reynolds said.

Parent Julie Eason, attending Thursday’s assembly, cited the sense of community in the district and said she appreciates New Berlin’s efforts to serve children of all needs. “I’m thrilled for the school,” she said.

New Berlin Elementary has 25 teachers and other staff members and an enrollment of 240 students in pre-kindergarten through third grade. The school district has a total enrollment of about 680.

Fore, a 1983 graduate of Porta High School in Petersburg, capped his school visit with a round-table discussion with a group of New Berlin High School students.

Among other things, Fore asked the students what they might remember the most after graduating from high school. Senior Anton Frazier, like his classmates, cited school and community support.

And, he added, “Generally, you can go down the street and wave at people, and they’ll wave back..”

-- State Journal Register, October 8, 2004