Rousseau Elementary School in Lincoln honored with National Blue Ribbon Award

Students at Rousseau Elementary School in Lincoln were greeted with quite the celebration Tuesday morning.

Members of the Southeast High School cheer squad and band came out to help get kids excited about the school winning a national blue ribbon award.

Rousseau was one of only 349 schools in the country to be awarded a blue ribbon this year.

“We work hard with our test scores, but it’s also about making relationships with one another and for our kids wanting to come to school and making it fun and so when it happens to fall into our lap and we’re awarded this, we’re honored and very, very proud,” said Rousseau principal Dr. Wendy Badje.

A blue ribbon award is given to schools based on their academic test scores, programs that provide opportunities for students from low income families, students with disabilities, and for those who English is their second language.

Schools also have to demonstrate they’ve closed the achievement gap among students, meaning the highest and lowest performing students are getting test scores closer together.

Since the award began in 1982 only 26 schools in Nebraska have received it.

Dr. Badje says the blue ribbon shows all their hard work pays off, “It validated the things we do every day and all the hard work they put in.”

For students the assembly was a time to celebrate their hard work, but for fifth grader Kennedy Bechtel it was a time to recognize the dedication of her teachers.

“Well I want to say thank you for helping me learn and be smart and be more active in life just so I can be more smart and learn more and get an education in life.”

Three other schools in Nebraska also received the blue ribbon award this year.

Schools in Culbertson, North Bend, and in Osceola also received the award.