Forest Park Earns National Award

The U.S. Department of Education named Forest Park Elementary a Blue Ribbon School on Thursday.

Forest Park was one of 305 winners across the nation, and one of only four on Long Island, to earn the award which honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools that are either high performing or have improved student achievement to high levels, especially among disadvantaged students, the department said.

Forest Park Principal Ross Diener said he was extremely proud of the school’s achievement.

“It takes a village to raise a child and that’s really true here,” he said. “It takes the entire community to make it a Blue Ribbon School. We not only have wonderful teachers and administrators, but the entire community is very supportive.”

In the midst of education cuts, many schools feel the pressure to simply meet educational requirements, but Diener said that the school has been able to succeed by keeping its focus on the students.

“You sort of have to pretend that the cuts and that kind of stuff isn’t happening. You see the kids in front of you and you do what you need to do to make them successful learners,” he said. “I can’t even begin to explain how proud we are.”

Forest Park and the other Blue Ribbon Schools will be honored at a national awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14 and 15 where each receives a plaque and flag to signify its award-winning status. Details of the school’s achievements will also be shared on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.