South Woods Named 'Blue Ribbon' School

Syosset's own has been recognized as a 2012 National Blue Ribbon School. The award, given out by the U.S. Department of Education, is given to schools of high academic excellence or where the achievement gap is closing. 

According to Newsday:

Staffers there said that all 258 of the school's eighth-graders successfully completed high-school-level Regents algebra courses during the 2011-12 school year, and 65 percent of those students achieved scores of 85 or better, signifying subject mastery.

Eighth-graders also have the option of taking high-school-level science.

"We do all that and we also have fun," said principal Michelle Burget, who cited an annual fundraising event, "Dancing With the Faculty," in which students score the performance of dancing teachers.

In the past, , and have also been named National Blue Ribbon Schools.

The honor was received by 269 schools nationwide, consisting of 219 public and 50 private. Three other schools on Long Island -- Timber Point Elementary School in East Islip, Cantiague Elementary School in Jericho, Mount Sinai Middle School in Mount Sinai -- were also given the award. A special recognition ceremony will be held Nov. 12-13 in Washington D.C. for the winners.