FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — At Norman Liddell Elementary School, teachers may be right down on the ground working with students.<\/p>\n
They may also have a long history with the campus, like Lisa Papaleo, who has been at the school since it opened in 1998.<\/p>\n
“I think there are still seven of us here at Liddell that are O.G. So it’s amazing,” Papaleo said.<\/p>\n
She’s seen a lot over the years.<\/p>\n
That includes the effort that’s been put in by teachers, administrators, staff members, parents and students.<\/p>\n
So this year, when Liddell Elementary was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School, it created a sense of pride.<\/p>\n
“It’s exciting that we’re finally being recognized for our hard work. I’m tearing up now about it,” Papaleo said.<\/p>\n
This prestigious award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that close achievement and opportunity gaps.<\/p>\n
It also highlights schools where students demonstrate high levels of academic success.<\/p>\n
Liddell is the first in the Central Unified School District to receive the distinction.<\/p>\n
Sixth grader Alexander Bacchus said he wasn’t surprised because he knows how great his school is.<\/p>\n
“The favorite thing about my school is the school community, because everyone, all the teachers, they’re really supportive,” Bacchus said.<\/p>\n
But the award nearly didn’t happen following the U.S. Department of Education’s elimination of the National Blue Ribbon Schools program.<\/p>\n
To ensure California schools were still recognized, the California Blue Ribbon Schools program was established.<\/p>\n
Superintendent Tony Thurmond said in a statement, in part, “I want to ensure that the hard work of students, staff, and educators does not go unrecognized.”<\/p>\n
It was a gesture Principal Erin Gunstream appreciated.<\/p>\n
“We’re just extremely grateful that we are getting to acknowledge all the people, the kids and the families that put into this that got us where we are,” Gunstream said.<\/p>\n
She says their work in the specialized reading lab and the dedicated teachers who adapt to their students’ needs helped the school reach the recognition.<\/p>\n
She believes this shows parents the school’s dedication to their students.<\/p>\n
“I hope that they see that this shows that we are doing what you’re promising them, that it is important that when you send them to us, they are safe, they are learning, they are getting opportunities that are unique to them,” Gunstream said.<\/p>\n
Liddel will receive official recognition from the California Department of Education and will be formally celebrated at the annual California School Recognition Program in the spring.<\/p>\n
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