SAN ANTONIO • St. Peter Prince of Apostles School and The Atonement Academy were two Catholic institutions recognized as 2005 No Child Left Behind — Blue Ribbon Schools by the United States Department of Education.
    Sister Carla Lusch, SSND, superintendent of Catholic schools, said, “Our Catholic schools are committed to academic excellence as evidenced by the fact that the Archdiocese of San Antonio has had six of its schools receive the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award. The administrators, teachers and students are to be commended for the daily efforts they make so that our children receive the highest level of education, academically and spiritually.”

    The six schools include Holy Cross of San Antonio (1984), St. Peter Prince of Apostles (1985 and 2005); Antonian College Preparatory (1999 and 2003); Holy Spirit School (2001); Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Selma (2004) and The Atonement Academy (2005).
    The current No Child Left Behind — Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes outstanding public and private K-12 schools that are academically superior in their states and demonstrate dramatic and consistent gains in student achievement and rewards schools whose students score in the top 10 percent on national assessments.

    At St. Peter Prince of the Apostles the announcement was made by Ann Lauder, school principal, amid enthusiastic fanfare — cheering students, teachers, parents, and supporters of Catholic education — on Sept. 22 at the parish center.
    This latest distinction is doubly satisfying for the school community as the institution was awarded Blue Ribbon status during the 1985-86 school year. The principal then, Mary Ann Leopold, remains on faculty at the school as the mathematics teacher for the middle grade students.
    Msgr. Tom Murphy acknowledged that, while it is gratifying for St. Peter Prince of the Apostles School to receive a national distinction such as the Blue Ribbon, “it’s not just about academics.” Father Murphy credited Father Peter Baque, the founding pastor of St. Peter Prince of Apostles, as a man of vision who believed in the necessity of a Catholic education. St. Peter Prince of Apostles School was founded in 1926. Msgr. Murphy, pastor of the parish and school community since 1988, has been described as a man of vision. A thriving Catholic school owes its success in part, Msgr. Murphy said, to leadership that is coupled with a realistic and valid vision. The days of Catholic schools serving only those within boundaries are long gone. St. Peter Prince of the Apostles has a student body enrollment with residences in 13 zip codes.

     But, more important than anything including academics, he said, is that “a Catholic school has to have ‘heart.’” Msgr. Murphy shared a story that moved him as he related the incident.
    “About two weeks ago, two parents brought their child for a tour of the school. The student has Rigors Syndrome which causes physical impairments but does not affect cognitive capabilities. One of the stops on the tour was the cafeteria. Without prompting, a young student got up, went to the girl, put her arm around her and said, ‘If you come to St. Peter’s on Monday, you will sit by me and I will take care of you.’ That,” Msgr. Murphy said, “is what St. Peter’s should and is about.”

     Another guest at the official announcement was Dr. David Jurenovich, vice president for administration at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) who announced that the current students of St. Peter Prince of Apostles would be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship upon future admission to the UIW.
    In addition to Sister Lusch, Msgr. Murphy, and Jurenovich, other guests included Sister Barbara Neist, SSND, an associate superintendent for the archdiocese’s Catholic Schools Office, and Jeanette Salinas, assistant principal at St. Peter Prince of Apostles School.

     Earlier in the day a similar pep rally was held at The Atonement Academy. Honored guests there included Sister Lusch, Sister Marcelle Stos, SSND, an associate superintendent for the archdiocese’s Catholic Schools Office; Father Christopher Phillips, pastor; Richard S. Arndt, headmaster; and Deacon James Orr, business manager.
    The event featured prayers, anthems and presentations by the school’s pastor and headmaster.
    “What a great day it is for all of us,” said Father Phillips in opening remarks. He recounted the school’s humble history, describing how it began with 60 kindergarten through third grade students in 1994. Now, the institution boasts 447 students who attend classes in beautiful new buildings, with construction adding 60,000 square feet of space to the church and school this year.
    “There are lots of things to be excited about, but the most important thing about this school is you,” the pastor told the streamer waving students in an assembly in their new gymnasium. “A school of excellence is to be an example to others. Continue to give a good example and do your very best. What God wants from us is our very best. I am very proud of each one of you.”
    Headmaster Arndt thanked the students for the hard work they put in each day at Atonement, and he issued a challenge. “Let’s go out and be even better.”

    In addition to the Catholic schools, St. Luke Episcopal School in San Antonio also received the Blue Ribbon honor. No public schools in the Alamo city achieved this recognition and only 25 public schools in the state of Texas received the award.
    “We are very proud of these No Child Left Behind — Blue Ribbon Schools,” stated Texas Education Commissioner Shirley J. Neeley. “The schools chosen for the Blue Ribbon are ones that are fulfilling the mission to ‘ensure every child learns, and no child is left behind.’”