Onsite awards ceremony celebrating their 2023 National Blue Ribbon School

Vicenza Elementary School held an onsite awards ceremony celebrating their 2023 National Blue Ribbon award on Dec.1, 2023. 

The awards ceremony consisted of a Blue-Ribbon parade led by the Boy and Girl Scouts; students read their Blue-Ribbon essays and unveiled the Blue-Ribbon flag at the end of the ceremony. Vicenza Elementary proudly now flies the National Blue Ribbon School flag, a widely recognized symbol of exemplary teaching and learning. Col. Scott Horrigan, U.S. Army Garrison Italy Commander, and Dr. Michelle Howard-Brahaney, DoDEA Europe Director for Student Excellence, provided remarks at the ceremony.

“I am proud of the leadership, dedicated teachers, and staff at Vicenza Elementary School for their remarkable achievement. This recognition from the U.S. Department of Education underscores their unwavering commitment to providing a world-class education for the children of our nation's military families. They exemplify the exceptional work being carried out in all our schools throughout Europe", states Howard-Brahaney. "It validates our efforts and our focus over the past years across our European schools. All our stakeholders, especially students, faculty, staff, and the military community have worked hard to achieve the best results in our schools. We are both proud and excited to be recognized for that hard work". 

The coveted National Blue-Ribbon Schools award affirms the hard work of educators, families, and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging and engaging content. Now in its 40th year, the National Blue-Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed over 10,000 awards to over 9,000 schools, with some winning multiple awards. Schools are eligible for re-nomination after five years. The National Blue Ribbon Schools is the United States Department of Education award program honoring high-performing schools and those achieving strides in closing the achievement gaps between students. 

Dr. Jeff Arrington, DoDEA-Europe South Superintendent, states," We continue to find success in our district as our commitment to providing excellent education for all is unwavering. The dedication of the leaders, teachers, staff, and students continues to shine, and I am humbled and honored to be a part of it. We are privileged to serve families that serve and protect our nation by providing military-connected students with a nurturing environment to learn and grow".

Vicenza Elementary School had representatives attend the 2023 National Blue-Ribbon Schools Awards Ceremony that was held Nov. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C