Parent volunteer Lauren May sits among the students at the Blue Ribbon assembly.

Celebrations can be homegrown – filled with children, laughter, and handmade decorations – or they can be elegant, with everyone in their best suits and dresses shaking hands and listening to speeches.

Sparks Elementary School celebrated its designation as one of Maryland’s six Blue Ribbon Schools for 2005 both ways. On Monday, March 14, representatives of Sparks joined with Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick, Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston, and other dignitaries at a Blue Ribbon reception and dinner in Annapolis.

A month earlier, on February 16, students and staff gathered for an assembly along with Dr. Grasmick, County Executive Jim Smith, County Councilman T. Bryan McIntire, Dr. Hairston, and Kim Whitehead, Central Executive Director of Schools. Parent and student involvement infused this event with energy and excitement. In addition to a recitation of the school poem, the event included the unveiling of the new student-designed school flag and the airing of a video in which students were asked to explain, in their own words, why their school was selected as a Blue Ribbon School.

Teacher Nicole Bowers admires students as they recite a poem.

Principal Barbara Bisset offered her own answer. “Highly qualified teachers, outstanding parent involvement, and a spirit of teamwork and collaboration are the hallmarks of Sparks Elementary,” she said. “Staff, parents, and community are to be commended for their outstanding achievement and hard work in earning this recognition.”

Dr. Hairston called the event a “fabulous celebration of education.”

In noting that Sparks has more than 200 volunteers who contribute more than 7,000 volunteer hours each year, Dr. Hairston said, “I say all the time that in Baltimore County Public Schools ‘all means all.’ Usually when I say that I am talking about being sure that every student succeeds, every student excels. But Sparks demonstrates an additional meaning of all means all, and that is, that to work best, everyone needs to be involved in the educational process…That can make the difference between being a good school and a great school.”

PTA President Kitt Rogers, Assistant Principal Melissa Fanshaw, Principal Barbara Bisset, State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick, BCPS Superintendent Joe Hairston, and Central Executive Director of Schools Kim Whitehead pose with award.

As a Maryland Blue Ribbon School, Sparks has been entered into the National No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon Schools Competition. National winners will be announced in the fall of 2005 and be invited to Washington, D.C., to be honored by national officials.

The No Child Left Behind/Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a national and state program that recognizes and honors schools that exhibit high performance and/or significant improvement in reading and mathematics achievement. These schools must meet rigorous standards that were developed by the Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education.

Story by Diana Spencer, Communications Officer