Waterloo Elementary Named 2018 National Blue Ribbon School

COLUMBIA, MD — Waterloo Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School on Monday. The U.S. Department of Education issued the award, which means the school demonstrated high achievement and significant improvement, based on state and national standards.

National Blue Ribbon Schools are identified in two categories – Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing and Exemplary High Performing. Waterloo was honored for being an exemplary high performing school.

"The criteria associated with this category highlights that Waterloo is among the nation’s highest performing schools while also making significant strides in closing achievement gaps between a school’s student groups and all students over the course of the past five years," Waterloo Principal Sean Martin said in a statement.

"I am very cognizant that such ongoing success is dependent upon not only motivated students and dedicated teachers, but also on the essential partnership between school and home. We are fortunate to partner with such an actively involved community of families and a committed PTA," Martin added. "Waterloo's National Blue Ribbon designation is truly a celebration for our entire community."

The National Blue Ribbon award came after Waterloo Elementary School was recognized as a 2017-2018 Maryland Blue Ribbon School award in December.

About 60 percent of Waterloo Elementary School students met or exceeded expectations in math and language arts on the 2017 PARCC assessments, according to the Howard County Public School System.

In addition, Waterloo students earned high honors in the Rube Goldberg and Safe Racer Engineering Challenges, and the campus is certified as a Maryland Green School, with students leading environmental conservation efforts like tree planting and a school rain garden.

RELATED: Waterloo Named Maryland Blue Ribbon School

Ten National Blue Ribbon Schools have been named in Howard County in previous years: Centennial Lane, Clarksville and Manor Woods elementary schools; Burleigh Manor, Clarksville, Ellicott Mills, Folly Quarter, Hammond and Lime Kiln middle schools; and River Hill High School.

There will be an awards ceremony to recognize Waterloo Elementary School and all 349 Blue Ribbon Schools recipients at an awards ceremony from Nov. 7 to Nov. 8 in Washington, D.C.

The Maryland schools named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018 were as follows:

• Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda
• Fallston Middle School in Fallston
• Harford Day School in Bel Air (nonpublic)
• Luxmanor Elementary School in Rockville
• Urbana Elementary School in Frederick
• Waterloo Elementary School in Columbia
• West Towson Elementary School in Towson

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