Parents, staff and students sport blue T-shirts that read "Everyday is Blue Ribbon Day at Alconbury Elementary School" during an assembly on Dec. 3, 2024. The school recently earned National Blue Ribbon honors, placing it in select company. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
RAF ALCONBURY, England — One of the smallest schools for children of U.S. service members overseas earned recognition in a big program that annually names standouts in American education.
Alconbury Elementary School, at RAF Alconbury in England, was among 356 American schools named a National Blue Ribbon School for 2024, officials said at an assembly Tuesday.
It’s the second Blue Ribbon award for the Alconbury “Dragons,” a Department of Defense Education Activity school with 190 students ranging from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. The first came in 2018.
Previous winners of the award can reapply after five years. Founded in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools program covers elementary, middle and high schools.
What sets Alconbury apart is how it consistently raises the bar, Michelle Howard-Brahaney, DODEA Europe’s director for student excellence, said during the announcement ceremony.
The program recognizes schools that showed outstanding academic achievement or notable progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
A project "signed" with cutouts of student hands is displayed at an assembly at the Defense Department's Alconbury Elementary School in England, on Dec. 3, 2024. Alconbury received a rare National Blue Ribbon for the second time since 2018. Schools may reapply five years after winning the honor. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Guests listen as students give speeches on why they think Alconbury Elementary School deserves the National Blue Ribbon award they received, on Dec. 3, 2024. The assembly at the Defense Department school in England included students, parents, staff and community members. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Michelle Howard-Brahaney, DODEA Europe director for student excellence, stands next to the National Blue Ribbon flag that the Alconbury Elementary school received during an award ceremony on Dec. 3, 2024. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Ashley Herndon, the vice president of the PTA for Alconbury’s elementary school, stressed the importance of having organized events with the full backing of the principal.
“It invites community when you’re in a foreign country,” she said.
Alconbury was joined by two other DODEA schools in taking home Blue Ribbon honors: West Point Elementary School at the U.S. Military Academy and Robinson Barracks Elementary School in Stuttgart, Germany.
At Tuesday’s ceremony, the Alconbury High School cheerleaders performed and the school choir sang. Then, a student from each grade was called up to the stage to talk about what they think makes Alconbury special.
Principal Scott Finlay spoke about rewarding the kids with little green dragons when they embody the school’s values.
“On top of high test scores, one thing that sets our school apart is the community that we have,” Finlay said.
Alconbury Elementary School principal Scott Finlay and the school’s mascot hold the National Blue Ribbon award plaque during an assembly on Dec. 3, 2024. The award is among the oldest that the U.S. Department of Education gives to schools. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
Blue ribbons are tied to a railing outside Alconbury Elementary School to celebrate their National Blue Ribbon award on Dec. 3, 2024. (Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)
