Cole Middle School Named a 2015 Blue Ribbon School

Archie R. Cole Middle School in East Greenwich has been named a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School — the pinnacle of national awards for schools.

The prestigious distinction is reserved for the best and highest performing schools in the country. Just 335 schools are recognized this year.

Principal Alexis Meyer was walking around the school on a cloud Tuesday and said that “it’s a wonderful honor.”

“It recognizes the efforts of the entire Cole community, all the families, the staff members, the students, their parents,” Meyer said. “This is a great school and I’m simply honored to be a part of it.”

The award is a recognition of the school’s overall academic excellence, progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups and the “exemplary teaching and learning,” according to a U.S. Department of Education news release.

“This honor recognizes your students’ accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a video message to the awardees. “Your journey has taught you collaboration, intentional instruction, and strong relationships in school and with your community. You represent excellence—in vision, in implementation, and in results—and we want to learn as much as we can from you.”

A total of 285 public and 50 private schools will be recognized at a ceremony this November in Washington, D.C.

In its 33-year history, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program has bestowed this coveted award on more than 8,000 of America’s schools.

Meyer said that the school would never be considered for Blue Ribbon status if it weren’t for the entire school community.

“I work with an amazing amount of people,” she said. “Amazing parents, a community that supports us and allows us to achieve at such high levels.”

You can read the school’s Blue Ribbon application HERE.

Below is a summary about the school and why it’s a winner this year :

East Greenwich, Rhode Island’s Archie R. Cole Middle School is home to 633 ‘Lancers’ in grades 6-8. Cole upholds an authentic middle school model with heterogeneous classes, interdisciplinary teams, and a growth mindset. The familial school culture fostered within this model is the bedrock of remarkable student achievement and social, emotional, and intellectual growth.

Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Peter Drucker once expressed, Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Throughout its history, Cole educators have taken pride in sustaining a culture grounded in kindness, support, and excellence. Teachers at Cole are committed to ensuring that a nurturing environment exists for all. Within, student growth is maximized through the use of best pedagogical practices. Cole’s vision contributes to this culture and drives the school community’s efforts: to be a shining model of excellence at the middle level. In this regard, Cole Lancer Pride is much more than a mantra - its a unifying call to action.

Furthermore, Cole’s mission reflects its collective passion: “We believe we can make a difference in the lives of our students. We recognize, respect, & value individual differences. We pledge our professional talents to educating all of our students so that they will have the necessary skills to excel in their life endeavors.”

Cole faculty members embody the mission’s language in their relentless dedication to enhancing their craft, to better support the whole child. The culture championed by the Cole community continues to serve as the catalyst for exceptional levels of student growth & achievement.