Highland and Viers Mill Elementary School Students Recognized for Academic Excellence with Tickets to White House Easter Egg Roll


Students from two elementary schools in Montgomery County will be among other students in the region to experience the excitement of participating in the 131st White House Easter Egg Roll, thanks to tickets provided by the office of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Let’s Go Play” is the theme of this year’s event, encouraging young people to be active and make healthy choices.

Highland and Viers Mill elementary schools were selected to receive the tickets because of the outstanding academic performance of their students, the majority of whom are English language learners or are eligible for free and reduced-priced school meals.

Highland Elementary School is one of 11 schools to receive the National Excellence in Urban Education Award this year from the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST). Highland also was named a Maryland Blue Ribbon School and is a candidate for a National Blue Ribbon School award.

The school administration at Highland has focused on setting high standards for all students and developing an active program of parent engagement. A schedule was developed that allows teachers to team together in classrooms. Limited English proficient and special education students have complete access to mainstream curriculum. Instructional leadership positions, including a reading specialist, reading coach, and math content coach, are used judiciously to ensure that the needs of individual students are being met.

Viers Mill Elementary School, a National Blue Ribbon School in 2005, was recognized for closing the achievement gap among student demographic groups. In 2008 the school was named a National Title I School of Distinction.

The school prides itself on functioning as a true professional learning community. Collaborative and interdependent teams are the foundation of the school. Individualized instruction and a focus on reading comprehension are designed to make sure all children strengthen their reading skills.