You may have heard that here in Riverside Township School District, we have vocalized a lofty goal to develop into and become recognized as a Blue Ribbon District composed of three Blue Ribbon Schools.

Pursuing a Blue Ribbon is not something we take lightly, as it is incredibly challenging to attain. Only nine schools (out of close to 2,500 total) in all of New Jersey are selected each year. Searching back through the records of Blue Ribbon Schools since 1997, there have only been two schools in Burlington County to ever receive this prestigious recognition. Being selected as a Blue Ribbon School is not something you can completely control. Schools must reach an identified threshold of academic excellence or growth in order to be invited to apply for the process of review and consideration.

This process may be lengthy and will definitely be challenging, but in working towards these standards of excellence, we will be improving our schools for all of our students and that is a worthy endeavor, regardless of the outcome.

As the saying goes, ‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you will still be among the stars.’

In order to prepare ourselves, we have researched the qualities and components identified in the application process as reflective of high performing schools and have developed a committee to begin working towards ongoing improvement in those areas. For this first year, the committee will be composed of district staff, allowing us more time during the day to pull the group, explore possibilities, build plans, and establish a strong foundation for continuous work towards excellence. To incorporate all stakeholder input, the committee will draw from the survey data submitted through our recent “Landscape Analysis” survey shared with all staff, students, and families. In future years, the committee may extend to include students and community members to gather updated input and garner greater involvement by the comprehensive Riverside community.