14
Gulf Pine Catholic
•
October 10, 2014
S
t
. J
ames
E
lementary
From page 1
The National Blue Ribbon
Schools Program honors public and
private elementary, middle, and
high schools where students either
achieve very high learning stan-
dards or are making notable
improvements in closing the
achievement gap. The award affirms
the hard work of students, educa-
tors, families and communities in
creating safe and welcoming
schools where students master chal-
lenging content.
The National Blue Ribbon
Schools website provides the fol-
lowing description of St. James
Catholic School:
Founded in 1963, St. James
Catholic School recently marked a
fifty year milestone of providing
academic excellence and faith for-
mation to the students of the
Mississippi Gulf Coast. Involved
stakeholders and a dedicated fac-
ulty foster a positive atmosphere for
learning. The mission of St. James
is to educate students in a Christ-
centered environment with an emphasis on Catholic
teachings and traditions while providing academic
excellence for all. Years of academic excellence and
notable achievements make St. James an exemplary
school. Following the devastation of Hurricane
Katrina, St. James was the first school in the entire Gulf
Coast region to reopen its doors and enroll students
from other affected areas. St. James Catholic School
has a unique fine arts program. The school has received
grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission and the
National Endowment for the Arts for three consecutive
years in recognition of excellence in the promotion of
arts in education. The St. James Catholic School
library and computer lab are equipped with the latest
technology and are fully accessible to all students.
Wireless internet access enables St. James to utilize
mobile computer labs which extend individualized
learning and technology opportunities into the class-
rooms. The school has expanded and grown dramati-
cally over the years, yet the undying commitment to
provide students with opportunities for harmonious
development in their physical, moral, emotional, spiri-
tual, and intellectual lives has remained the same.
Through collaborative efforts among school and com-
munity stakeholders, St. James continues to grow and
excel in providing a quality Catholic education.
As one could only imagine, those associated with
St. James Catholic School were elated to hear that the
school had been named a National Blue Ribbon School.
“We were thrilled,” said St. James principal Jennifer
Broadus. “We celebrated our 50th anniversary last year
and it’s such a huge honor to finally be recognized for
all of our hard work and dedication. It’s just a huge
honor for our teachers and students.”
Being named a National Blue Ribbon School,
Broadus said, is the result of a total team effort.
“Year after year, as our test scores would come in,
we’d see how well our students were doing and how
high they were performing on the standardized scores.
So, from there, I decided I wanted to do something to
recognize their efforts. That’s when I decided to apply
to become a National Blue Ribbon School,” she said.
“Our faculty and staff work so hard every day.
They’re continuously trying to improve through profes-
sional development. We just finished working on our
strategic plan for our school, so we’ve all really been
working together as a community to grow academically
and spiritually. It’s been a team effort and it’s really
paid off.”
Additionally, Broadus said the school’s stakehold-
ers, especially those who served on committees to help
formulate the five-year strategic plan, have had input
into what is being done to contribute to the growth of
the school.
Broadus also thanked current pastor Father Charles
Nutter and his predecessor, Father George Kitchin for
their unfailing support of the school.
“They have been fantastic supporters of the school
and they have worked hand in hand with us to nurture
our students and prepare our students and to help create
the environment that we have here,” she said.
Computer instructor Stacie Barrient helped Broadus
prepare the application for the National Blue Ribbon
award and said she is excited that the school is being
recognized for the world class education it offers its
students.
“I’m very excited,” said Barrient, who will accom-
pany Broadus to Washington D.C. for next month’s
recognition ceremony.
“I’m thrilled about it because a lot of hard work
went into the application process.
I’ve always felt like we have an
excellent school and it’s good to get
the national recognition of being a
Blue Ribbon School. As I said, it’s
a lot of hard work to go through the
process to get the award but I think
it’s worth it because it’s a way to
show our parents and the commu-
nity that we’re doing a good job
here with our students. I feel that, as
a Catholic school, we want to show
that we provide a great education to
our kids and it’s good to be recog-
nized nationally for that.”
Diocesan Superintendent of
Schools Dr. Michael Ladner con-
gratulated St. James Catholic
School for the well-deserved honor.
“The Catholic schools in the
Diocese of Biloxi show exemplary
performance year in and year out. It
is often difficult to single out just
one school. In the case of St. James
Catholic Elementary School in
Gulfport, they went the extra mile
this year and have been rewarded
for their hard work and dedication,” Dr. Ladner said.
“The entire team at St. James set their sights on this
prize a few years ago. They knew that copious amounts
of data would need to be gathered to determine where
strengths and weaknesses existed and they did so with
great zeal. The improvements they sought and made
culminated in this award of blue ribbon school. No one
person is responsible for this award. it was an entire
team effort. Although the pastor, principal, faculty, and
staff led the effort, the success of the school would not
be possible without the support of parents, parishioners,
the advisory council, businesses, and the whole com-
munity at large.”
Father Nutter, who has been pastor of St. James
since January, said he is proud of the school’s success.
“I am honored that St. James Elementary School has
received the Blue Ribbon School Award. This is a
national award given by the U.S. Department of
Education. Only 7,500 schools nationwide have
received this award since President Reagan implement-
ed the initiative in 1982,” he said. “This speaks highly
of the years of tireless effort on the part of our princi-
pal, Jennifer Broadus, the faculty, and staff. It is also a
testament not only to the parents who support St. James
Elementary, but to our talented children. I am proud to
be pastor over a school which has sought the highest
academic standards for over 50 years. I look forward to
the continued success of St. James Elementary as it
continues to form the hearts and minds of our students
who are our future.”
The last diocesan school to be named a National
Blue Ribbon School was St. Alphonsus Catholic School
in Ocean Springs, which received the award in 2004.
Students at St. James Catholic School in Gulfport learn about the saints of the Church
using their Chromebooks. The school was recently recognized as a National Blue Ribbon
School.
