Kirkwood's Westchester Named Blue Ribbon School
Westchester among 5 Missouri schools to earn prestigious honor

October 05, 2007
Teachers, staff and students at Westchester Elementary School were celebrating this week after learning that Westchester had been named a "No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School" for 2007.

Westchester Elementary, 1416 Woodgate Ave. in the Kirkwood School District, is one of only two St. Louis County schools — Conway Elementary in the Ladue School District is the other — to have earned the prestigious designation.

In all, only five Missouri schools and 287 nationwide earned Blue Ribbon School honors.

Westchester Elementary School Principal Chrisel Clay and first-grade teacher Kathy Collier-Paul will represent the school at the Nov. 12-13 awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. They will accept a plaque and a Blue Ribbon School flag at the ceremony.

The No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools award distinguishes and honors schools for helping students achieve at very high levels and for making significant progress in closing the achievement gap.

Clay credits the Westchester teachers, support staff, parents and community members for the school's success.

"The needs of our students guide everything we do Westchester," said Clay. "Our teachers spend countless hours preparing for and assessing student learning. Parents and community members also support the learning that happens here with their time and involvement."

Westchester School was invited by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to submit an application for possible recognition as a No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon School after being named a Missouri Gold Star School by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in April 2007.

The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels.