A ceremony was held at Rome Middle School where Georgia State Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods recognized three schools in the Rome City Schools district. Woods presented banners and ribbons to Anna K. Davie Elementary, Elm Street Elementary, and Rome Middle School for their achievements in mathematics and penmanship.
Last year, Woods challenged the district to increase the number of schools receiving honors after awarding a Math Leader Banner to Rome Middle. This year, Anna K. Davie and Elm Street joined Rome Middle as Math Leader Schools. Elm Street also received a John Hancock Award banner for its work in cursive writing.
“Every school that we add to the list means we’re moving forward in Georgia. Hopefully, we will continue to see every school within the state of Georgia have banners and ribbons. It’s very tough to do this each and every year,” Woods said. “Adding two new schools to the list, along with Rome Middle, is great. Elm Street is one of our newest John Hancock award winners, so we have a recipient that is doing some great work with cursive writing. I’m just delighted to be here, to see the excitement, but also see the intentionality that has taken place. It really does reflect leadership from the top all the way into the classrooms each and every day.”
Woods was welcomed by student ambassadors, staff from all three schools, Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland, and board members before presenting awards in front of students gathered in the media center.
Elm Street Principal Lisa Strack commented on her school’s recognition: “Today is a celebration of what happens when high expectations meet unwavering dedication. Seeing Mrs. Black and Mrs. Ondovic recognized for a remarkable 15 percent increase in math proficiency, alongside Ms. Diruggiero and Mrs. Bowles for their commitment to the timeless skill of penmanship, proves that our team strives for excellence every single day,” she said. “When you set the bar high and support one another, these are the great things that happen for our students. Excellence is the heartbeat of our building, and we are so proud of our students and teachers!”
Anna K. Davie Principal Brant Amerman spoke about his school’s achievement: “We are thrilled to celebrate Mrs. McConnell and her students for earning the Math Leader recognition… Last year, her students showed a 20-point increase in the number of students scoring at the proficient and above level in 5th grade Math compared to the previous school year,” he said.“This achievement highlights her focus on student growth and the hard work of her students—congratulations!”
Rome Middle Principal Christian Barnes discussed continued success at his school: “Algebra I is often considered a gateway course… Proficiency here is a strong predictor of future success in higher-level math and high school graduation rates.For RMS to see 98 percent of our students meeting or exceeding these standards suggests not only that we have talented students,but also a highly effective teacher, Ms.Cindy Ray,” Barnes said.“This Math Leader Award marks the second year in a row that RMS has hit this elite benchmark.Following last year’s banner and ribbons,this recognition solidifies RMS’s reputation as a leader in mathematics instruction within the state.I couldn’t be prouder of Ms.Ray’s accomplishments and those of her students.”
Woods noted his appreciation for seeing progress across districts: “Giving the banners out themselves is a great thrill to me.It helps to recognizethe hard work that’s going on throughout thestate,and especially up herein Rome City Schools.We keep adding schools tot his list,and thatis amazing,”he said.“Of course,f orRomeMiddleSchool ,what isa real delightis addingribbons tothe bottom.Thatmeans continuousprogress ,continued improvement,and continuousproficiency.It’sjusta delight ,especially gettingto seethe teacherwithher kidswho cameoverfromthehighschool ,as werecognizetheworkthattookplacelastyear.”
Rome City Schools operates public elementary,middle,and high school programs offering academic instruction including Advanced Placement coursesand career-technical education.The district provides virtual learning options,supports special educationand gifted programs,and reports agraduation rateof95 .7% .Technologyresourcesare availableforstudentsK-12 .The Boardof Education oversees administration forthedistrict basedin Rome ,Georgia .
The district emphasizes academics,the arts,and athletics as partofits educational mission.More information aboutprogramsand operationscanbe foundon the official website .
