For Immediate Release
Contact: Maria Zone
Director of Communications
Archdiocese of Hartford
(860) 541-6491 ext. 127
mzone@aohct.org

St. Gabriel in Windsor is the Only Private School in New England to Receive National Blue Ribbon for Academic Excellence

HARTFORD, Conn. (September 15, 2010) – Saint Gabriel in Windsor, Connecticut is the only private school in New England to be recognized as a 2011 Blue Ribbon School for academic excellence. The Blue Ribbon is the highest honor a school can receive by the U.S. Department of Education. This year, they honored 255 public schools and 49 private schools from across the U.S.

To be considered for the award, all grades in a school that took the Iowa Test of Basic Skills had to score in the 85th percentile in reading and math. At St. Gabriel, grades 3 through seven took the test and exceeded these criteria by scoring in the 90th percentile or above in these subjects.

Patricia Martin, principal of St. Gabriel, credits the school’s teachers for the honor, saying that they customize strategies to teach each student based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.

“St. Gabriel achieves excellence quietly, but very effectively as evidenced by this distinguished recognition. What they accomplish inside of the school – in the classrooms – is extraordinary,” said Dale R. Hoyt, Superintendent of Catholic Schools.

In celebration of the award, Martin has declared Friday, September 16, “Dress Down Day” and each student will receive a blue ribbon pin.