Lake Orion Community Schools has two reasons to celebrate in the coming weeks: Waldon Middle School has been named a Michigan Blue Ribbon School, while Oakview Middle School has been deemed a ‘School to Watch.?
Waldon will host a Blue Ribbon ceremony on June 1, and Principal Heidi Kast said the application process for the honor had a shortened time frame this year.
‘It was a tight schedule to get the application in, because the process from the state was started late,’she said. ‘After you make it through the application process, there’s a site visit. Our whole staff embraced the idea.?
Kast said staff at Waldon also viewed the application process as something that was wonderful in and of itself for school improvement.
Schools are selected for the award based on the site visit and recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Select Committee. The Michigan Department of Education began participating in the program in 1982. Schools are selected based on their effectiveness in meeting rigorous state education goals.
Elementary and secondary schools compete separately on alternate years, and this year secondary schools were eligible to apply. The Lake Orion district has six other schools that have received the honor.
‘It speaks highly of our students, staff and community,? Kast said. ‘We were the only school in Oakland County this year, and only one of seven in the state (to receive a Blue Ribbon Award).?
Oakview Middle School joined just two other middle schools in the state to be named a ‘School to Watch,? part of a recognition program developed by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.
The program began in 1999, to identify middle schools across the country that were meeting or exceeding a set of strict criteria for excellence.
Principal Alice Seppanen said the designation is not only for Oakview, but for the Lake Orion Schools middle school concept as a whole.
‘Several years ago we changed the middle school concept as a district,? she said. ‘Last summer we learned that Michigan was going to become involved in Schools to Watch, so we found out about the application process and brought it to our school improvement steering committee.?
The committee said ‘go for it,? and the process began. The application was due Nov. 1.
‘We were pretty absorbed in that for a while,? Seppanen said. ‘Just before winter break we heard we’d be getting a visit…a committee visited in March, and spent the day here.?
Besides visiting nearly every classroom in the building, the committee interviewed teachers, administrators and students.
Seppanen said being named a ‘School to Watch? means Oakview will also become a resource for other middle schools.
‘We’ll have visitations from other schools, and we’ll also create a DVD about Oakview to distribute at the national conference in Washington, D.C.?
At that conference, which is June 22-29, Oakview will also receive a national award from ‘Schools to Watch.? Staff will share a presentation on Lake Orion’s middle school program at the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in the fall.
‘It really is a reflection of our cohesive middle school program in the district,? said Seppanen.
Oakview will celebrate the award with a ceremony at the school on May 25.
‘Oakview worked on this for six months,? said LO Schools Superintendent Chris Lehman. ‘The staff there has been working very hard.?
Lehman added that a lot of ‘ground work? goes into the Blue Ribbon application as well.
‘The staff did this on their own time,? she said.