Elementary school recognizes community businesses
The Enterprise — Michael Koff
Follow me to excellence: Voorheesville Elementary School administrators wear blue shirts and walkie talkies, for both pride and safety, on the way to "blue" the Mobil station to share the school's Blue RIbbon School status with the community.
VOORHEESVILLE — Voorheesville Elementary School students and teachers walked to the Mobil gas station kitty corner from the school last week, to give the owners a blue ribbon.
“They are basically providing a blue ribbon to our community businesses that support us, and who also played a part in why we are a Blue Ribbon school,” said Principal Thomas Reardon.
He said that the new “You got blue-ed” program is “very symbolic that we are a true school and community working together.”
“This idea was born from our Blue Ribbon Ad Hoc Committee, which formed after we received this prestigious designation,” Reardon said. He is the chairman of the group.
“The committee's charge is to maintain our stamina to both make our community aware of our great school, and also extend our thanks for providing us with fantastic students,” he said.
Last fall, Voorheesville Elementary School was named a Blue Ribbon school, after the New York State Department of Education invited Voorheesville to apply for Blue Ribbon status.
Of the 132,197 public and private schools in the United States, Reardon said in November, 337 schools received the Blue Ribbon award.
Voorheesville Elementary was named a Blue Ribbon School once before, in 1991.
Reardon said that the Mobil visit last week was the first of several the committee hopes to make. The curriculum for first- and second-graders emphasizes community, Reardon said. Future visits might include the firehouse, the post office, or the local grocery story, he said.
“Mobil has been extremely kind and generous to our faculty and staff, who will frequent this local establishment for coffee. They have taken time to get to know our employees, and also frequently inquire how our students are doing. They are the epitome of friendly,” Reardon said.
Mobil employee Zia Rehman, whose father-in-law, Safder Ali, owns the station, said of the school employees, “They’re very nice people. It’s very pleasant to have them here, especially the principal. He is such a dynamic personality — so much energy he’s got!”
Reardon said that all his staff was welcome to join in on the community visits.
“We will extend this opportunity to all staff…when we ‘blue ribbon’ other local businesses in the future,” he said.
