Purple Star Awarded To Strongsville School

STRONGSVILLE, OH — Whitney Elementary School in Strongsville is a Purple Star award winner for 2018. The award goes to schools that show an extraordinary commitment to military families, the Ohio Department of Education said.

In the case of Whitney, the award was specifically earned by one teacher: Debbie Gonczy. The teacher hold an annual Veterans Day Assembly and the "Whitney Boot Camp." Inspired by two military families at the school, Gonczy completed training and coursework through the Ohio Department of Education to make Whitney a "military-friendly" school.

"This is such an exciting honor for Whitney Elementary and to be recognized with the Purple Star award. I was inspired to apply for this recognition by two active military families that attend our school. After completing an online training through the Ohio Department of Education and sharing details of the Veterans Day assembly and our Whitney "Boot Camp" that all of our students participate in, I was so happy to hear this news," Gonczy said in an emailed statement to Patch.

In addition to winning the award, Gonczy will be head to Parris Island, South Carolina to represent the district at an upcoming Marine Educators Workshop. The teacher said she's looking forward to the trip.

The district also celebrated the Purple Star award winner, saying they were proud of Gonczy's work.

Qualifying for the award requires two steps: having a dedicated liaison between the school and military families and having a part of the school's website be dedicated to resources for military families. The school must then do one of these three things: professional development or additional staff for military families and kids; the local school board passes a resolution publicizing the school's support for military children and families; or the school hosts a military recognition event for children and families.

Schools that earn Purple Star status will receive an actual purple star to display at the school building, the Ohio Department of Education said.

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