Migration
Aukamm Elementary School gets Blue Ribbon designation
Stars and Stripes
October 1, 2014
Aukamm Elementary School teacher Michelle House pins a 2014 Blue Ribbon to her first grade student Ethan Wineberner at a celebration Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, recognizing Aukamm Elementary as a 2014 Department of Education Blue Ribbon School. (Eric A. Brown/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany — Aukamm Elementary School on Wednesday celebrated its designation as a 2014 Department of Education Blue Ribbon School.
Aukamm Elementary, recognized for overall academic excellence, is the only Department of Defense Education Activity School in Europe to receive the honor this year. Matthew C. Perry Elementary School in Japan also received the honor. A total of 300 American schools worldwide received the designation.
“During a time of deployments and family transitions to new locations every three years, Aukamm Elementary School offers military families a nurturing, safe haven for children to learn, grow and thrive academically, socially and emotionally in the culturally rich environment of Wiesbaden, Germany,” said Debbie Parks, Hainerberg Elementary School principal and former principal of Aukamm. “It is a school committed to excellence that also has a heart for the challenges faced by military kids.”
To select National Blue Ribbon Schools, the Department of Education requests nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, DODEA and the Bureau of Indian Education. The education secretary invites nominated schools to submit an application for possible recognition as a National Blue Ribbon School.