Breaking News: Lincoln Montessori Elementary School is a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School!

Norfolk Public Schools is excited to announce that Lincoln Montessori Elementary School has been named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School.  

Lincoln Montessori Elementary School, one of the seven elementary schools of Norfolk Public Schools, has been honored as a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. This highly prestigious honor is awarded to schools considered “Exemplary High Performing” by national standards. (see page 3) The school applications are evaluated in an extensive review process among public and private schools throughout the nation.

On 9/26/2019, U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos announced via video press release (see link below) that 362 schools in the United States are being recognized for their outstanding performance in student achievement. Lincoln Montessori Elementary School was one of 6 schools from Nebraska recognized nationally in this announcement.

Lincoln Montessori Elementary School was established as part of the Norfolk Public Schools in 1992 with the first Kindergarten class being held at the former Victory Elementary School.  Currently, the school enrolls 134 students in grades Kindergarten-4th Grade with 2019-2020 serving as the first school year to initiate a second kindergarten class of students. Each year the program will expand to include a second grade level classroom until it had advanced to a full two track program, serving approximately 250 students, in fall 2023.  The Montessori method of education is a child-centered educational approach that nurtures children’s innate curiosity ~ encouraging them to explore and learn from the world around them. Students work and learn at their own pace, developing concentration, motivation, persistence and discipline. The teacher in a Montessori classroom facilitates learning by observing the child’s needs and directing the child toward appropriate learning materials, which are specially designed and sequenced to provide children with real life and concrete experiences. Although there are both large and small group activities throughout the day, the child’s academic instruction is most often individually presented. Each child is carefully observed to assure respect for his or her own level of ability and progress.  One learner is not compared or paced with another.

Montessori has a tradition of academic excellence for many years, performing each year with high marks in state and national level testing.  All Norfolk Public Schools students participate annually in the national assessment called MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), below are the 2019 MAP test scores for Lincoln Montessori. 

2019 MAP Scores

                               Lincoln Montessori      District Average     National Average

3rd Grade Reading      98th percentile      74th percentile      50th percentile

4th Grade Reading      98th percentile      77th percentile      50th percentile

3rd Grade Math           97th percentile      64th percentile      50th percentile

4th Grade Math           97th percentile      62nd percentile      50th percentile

“Congratulations to the teachers, staff, and students of Lincoln Montessori Elementary School on being named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School. The elementary school performs very well consistently year after year on test scores and are most deserving of this prestigious award.  The staff and students at Montessori take self directed student learning very seriously and aim for all students to develop into lifelong learners. We are very proud to celebrate their recognition as a top performing school in the nation!” ? Dr. Jami Jo Thompson, Superintendent of Schools, Norfolk Public Schools.

“It is a great honor to have our school named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School.  The team at Lincoln Montessori Elementary School is a dedicated group of professionals and our students show up every day eager to learn.  I am excited to join the U.S. Dept of Education in celebrating their collective hard work and accomplishments. When our school board voted last year to expand the program to a two track program we were very excited for the opportunity to bring more students into our classrooms.  Now, winning this national award that recognizes academic excellence is like icing on the cake. We are extremely proud to accept this award on behalf of our staff, students, and families.” – Mrs. Angie Hausmann, Principal, Lincoln Montessori Elementary School.

The U.S. Department of Education will formally recognize the 312 public and 50 private schools at an awards ceremony in Washington DC on November 14 and 15, 2019. 

Norfolk Public Schools will be hosting a celebration on November 18, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Montessori school gym.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. More details will be available soon on the school website.

US Secretary of Education Ms. Betsy DeVos announces 2019 National Blue Ribbon School recipients: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/nclbbrs/index.html

For additional information Lincoln Montessori Elementary School please visit: https://www.norfolkpublicschools.org/schools/lincoln-montessori-elementary/