By Kathi Stearns

Staff Writer

ATLANTA – St. John Neumann Regional School in Lilburn and St. John the Evangelist School in Hapeville were among 276 elementary schools honored Oct. 6-7 in ceremonies at the White House by the U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Schools recognition program.

The Washington, D.C., activities included a meeting with Vice President Al Gore and an address by President Clinton directed to the award-winning principals, teachers, students and school administrators who represented the 276 schools.

During an awards luncheon hosted by U.S. Secretary of Education, Richard W. Riley, the schools were individually honored as a special flag and commemorative plaque were presented to the principals.

Sallie McQuaid, principal through June 1994, Mrs. Karen Vogtner, alumna and vice principal, and Priscilla Garten, secretary of development, accepted the awards on behalf of the St. John the Evangelist community. Sister Dawn Gear, GNSH, principal, Sister Rita Raffaele, GNSH, assistant principal, and Patsy Lockwood, director of curriculum, accepted the awards on behalf of the St. John Neumann community.

“As the nation seeks to improve learning it can learn by example from these Blue Ribbon Schools,” Riley said. “These schools reflect the paramount importance of strong schools, family involvement and community partnerships for learning.”

The Blue Ribbon School program rewards excellence in education, recognizing outstanding leadership, quality curricula and faculty and active parental involvement. The program, which calls national attention to highly successful schools, has served to motivate other schools striving for excellence.

This year 220 public schools and 56 private schools in 45 states and the District of Columbia attained Blue Ribbon recognition. State education agencies, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Department of Defense, Dependent Schools and the Council for American Private Education nominated 529 elementary schools for the 1993-1994 competition. Seven schools in Georgia were recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence; two of these were Catholic elementary schools.

“We are proud of the department of Education’s recognition…and applaud their efforts and achievement,” said Dr. Robert J. Kealey, executive director of the Elementary School Department of the National Catholic Educational Association. “These schools serve as an example of the excellence that Catholic schools contribute to the nation’s educational system.”

The recognition provided an occasion for St. John the Evangelist to look back at its past as the community celebrated the present and made plans for the future.

Last month St. John the Evangelist School invited the Sisters of Mercy of Merion, Pa. who had served as principals to see a glimpse of their labors and reaffirm the current leadership on the occasion of the school’s 40th anniversary. The school opened Sept. 7, 1954 serving grades one through five.

Despite their accomplishments this year the parents, students and faculty were not ready for the celebration to end. “This is just a beginning…a stepping stone to continued excellence as we move in new directions,” said Mrs. Vogtner.

As a former student this award had special meaning for her. “It was a wonderful feeling. I always knew it was a school of excellence; now everybody else knows,” she said.

“We are a school of excellence because of the charisma of the faculty, students, staff and parents,” said Christine Foley, St. John’s current principal. “Everyone has brought his special gift to St. John’s, and we have blended them all together. It is so affirming to know that the strength of the school is in its community.”

For St. John Neumann, on the other hand, the celebration has been a special one for the community because of its young life in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The school was founded in 1986 to serve the elementary educational needs of Catholic families within the northeastern suburbs of the metropolitan Atlanta area. From an initial enrollment of 160 students in kindergarten through fifth grades, the school has grown to its current enrollment of 617 students in prekindergarten through eighth grades.

“Achieving Blue Ribbon distinction within only eight years is testimony to the dedicated efforts of our faculty, staff and parents in opening St. John Neumann Regional Catholic School and enabling it to achieve this level of excellence,” said Sister Gear.

For both communities excellence is not one-dimensional. Excellence is pursued in all aspects of life as the students, faculty and parents work diligently to continue to maintain the standard of quality which makes their communities unique.

Mrs. Vogtner described St. John the Evangelist as a place where teachers care about their students, parents are vocal and involved and students respect their teachers and peers. “You have to have a caring atmosphere for learning to be nourished to its fullest potential,” she said.

Faye Baskerville, a St. John the Evangelist parent, believes that the combination of challenging academic work and Catholic teaching strengthens and supports each other in producing a “total learning experience.”

“Teachers expose the students to so many things,” she said. “They teach that one must have knowledge of the past and awareness of the present to plan for the future. They allow the kids to open their minds and be creative.” Skills developed at St. John’s are tools that she believes her daughter, Simone, will have for the rest of her life.

Sister Gear believes that the success of the school lies in its Catholic identity. “Without it we are nothing,” she said. “Parents recognize the benefits of an academically excellent Catholic education.”

Sister Gear believes that one of the most important lessons she and her faculty can teach students is to live their faith. “It is neat to see that our kids truly love religion; they enjoy learning about the Lord and practicing his teachings.” School service projects have involved the students with the flood victims in South Georgia, an abused mother and her children, Thanksgiving food drives and a local soup kitchen.

It is also important to Sister Gear that she establish an individual relationship with each student. She does her best to know each child by name, and she shares personal interests with her students to enhance the student-principal relationship. For example, Sister Gear loves the University of Notre Dame and is an avid football fan. Notre Dame games are marked on the official school calendar, and the scores are announced the Monday following the games. “It allows me to really connect with them,” she smiles.

Each student’s birthday is announced over the public address system so that he can feel special as an individual member of the community. “Even when I discipline the kids, I don’t let them leave my office without saying something positive about them,” said Sister Gear. “That is what makes this community special; we have a deep respect and love for each other.”

For Teresa Pawlik, an Atlanta public school teacher and mother of three St. John the Evangelist graduates, the community is a “gift” that she calls “family.”

She believes that the school has gone out of its way to examine and teach the Catholic faith. “I have always been assured that whatever I was trying to teach my children in terms of morals and values ha been reemphasized at school.”

Moreover, she finds St. John the Evangelist to be a school that practices what it preaches. “A few years ago I had a student commit suicide. The first thing I did was to call St. John’s…and ask for prayers,” Mrs. Pawlik said. “They responded right away. You can’t get that from a public school. The community has always been there for my children and for its extended family in times of crisis.”

The parents and teachers credit the administrators of the school with creating an atmosphere where learning and growth can take place and be nurtured.

“Christine Foley is building a faith community,” said Mrs. Garten. “She has a very clear vision of Catholic education and says that she sees her role as an administrator to be that of moving the school in the direction the community wants it to go.”

“God is calling us to be something special,” said Mrs. Foley. “It is up to us to listen and follow His direction.”

According to Jim Chamberlin, one of St. John Neumann parish representatives on the school board, “Attaining Blue Ribbon distinction…is testimony to the leadership and dedication shown by Sister Dawn and Sister Rita in opening this school and enabling it to achieve this level of excellence, not only in academics but also as a teacher of the Catholic faith. We are truly blessed by their devotion to our children and this school.”

Both schools were notified of their selection on May 27. St. John the Evangelist presented the awards from Washington to the school community on Oct. 14. State Sen. Michael J. Egan will present the Blue Ribbon flag and plague to the school community at St. John Neumann during a special reception Nov. 11. Archbishop John F. Donoghue, as well as representatives of the civic community and the school’s parents and supporters are scheduled to attend.

Through their faculty, staff, students, parents and parishioner St. John the Evangelist and St. John Neumann have linked their diverse elements to form outstanding academic and religious models, each forged by the strong talents and faith of its involved and proud community.