Bordewich-Bray wins praise as distinguished school

Carson City's Bordewich-Bray Elementary School was named a 2010 National Title I Distinguished School. It is the second time the school has received that distinction.

"We are very excited and very honored to accept the award," Principal Valerie Dockery told trustees during Tuesday's school board meeting.

The award comes on the heels of the school being named "high achieving" under the federal No Child Left Behind standards.

Norm Scoggin, president of the school board, also presented Dockery with a certificate recognizing the school's achievement during the meeting.

"What a sincere accomplishment," Scoggin said. "An awful lot of work. I'm very proud of you."

The National Title I Distinguished School Program has been in place since 1996. It recognizes schools with low-income populations that achieve high educational standards.

To be considered a Title I school, 35 percent of students must be at the poverty level.

Each state may select two schools for national recognition that have either shown exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years or have made significant progress in closing the achievement gap between student groups.

Representatives from the school will attend the National Title I conference in Tampa, Fla., in January to receive the award.

"This is a huge honor for us, and it is all because of each one of you," Dockery told her staff in an e-mail. "I am honored and grateful to work with such a dynamic team."

Natchez Elementary School in Washoe County was the second school from the state selected for the distinction.

Also at the school board meeting:

• Carson City Library Director Sara Jones said the Literacy for Life initiative to give every student in the Carson City School District a library card by the end of the school year is off to a good start.

"We're carpeted with kids, so it's working," she told trustees. "It absolutely is."

Youth Services Librarian Amber Sady said participation in online tutoring programs also is skyrocketing as a result of the program.

• Superintendent Richard Stokes reminded all Carson City students that submissions to the district's American Citizen Essay Contest are due to the district office, 1402 W. King St., by 5 p.m. Thursday. This year's theme is: "What I would do to make Carson City a better place to live."

For more information, call 283-2000.