CHICAGO (September 23, 2005) – Two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago -- St. Alexander Catholic School in Palos Heights and St. Damian Catholic School in Oak Forest -- have been named by the U.S. Department of Education as No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools.

“This national recognition underscores the commitment to academic excellence by Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic schools,” said Nicholas Wolsonovich, Ph.D., superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, in response to the announcement made today by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “This commitment is part of our vital mission to foster lifelong learning and development of our students’ talents and skills with a strong emphasis on Catholic values.”

“We are very proud of our students and faculty for their hard work and dedication to spiritual growth and academic excellence,” said Patricia Lynch, principal of St. Alexander Catholic School. “We provide a strong Catholic education that prepares our students for a happy, successful and faith-filled life as socially responsible, morally sound and economically independent citizens.”

“It is a thrill to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for the second time,” said Marilyn Baran, St. Damian Catholic School’s new principal. “Much of the credit for our school’s Catholic educational environment in which growth and learning takes place goes to St. Damian’s dedicated staff and to Barbara Wesolowski, our former principal for 15 years who retired in June. There really is a strong spirit of collegiality among our parents, faculty and staff that dominates St. Damian School.”

St. Damian Catholic School was recognized under the U.S. Department of Education’s previous Blue Ribbon program in 1991.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, the program recognizes schools that make significant progress in closing the achievement gap or whose students achieve at very high levels. The schools are selected based on one of three criteria:

• Schools with at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds that dramatically improve student performance on state tests, as determined by the state school chief;
• Schools whose students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent on state tests; or
• Private schools that achieve in the top 10 percent in the nation.

St. Alexander and St. Damian Catholic Schools and their leadership will be honored by the U.S. Department of Education at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., later this fall.

Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools

The Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago play a critical role in the life of the community by providing academic excellence and faith formation for students of many races, faiths and backgrounds in elementary and secondary schools in Cook and Lake counties. There are 218 elementary and 40 secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago. To locate a Catholic school in your area and learn more about Catholic education in Cook and Lake counties, visit the Office of Catholic Schools web page on the Archdiocese of Chicago web site at www.archchicago.org