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South River Elementary School Earns Top Award

Governor Tim Kaine announced that 162 Virginia public schools earned the 2009 Governor's Award for Educational Excellence. The award is the highest honor under the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) incentive program created by the Board of Education to advance Governor Kaine's "competence to excellence" agenda to encourage advanced learning and achievement in the Commonwealth's public schools. SOUTH RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has earned the 2009 Governor's Award of Educational Excellence. The school will receive a display banner and a signed resolution of commendation from Governor Kaine.

At right, Governor Tim Kaine poses with Rockingham Superintendent Dr. Carol Fenn (3rd from left), SRES Teacher Mrs. Jeanette Toohey (far left), and SRES Principal Mr. Larry Shifflett (far right) in Richmond after the awards presentation.

In order to qualify for the Governor's Award for Educational Excellence, schools and school divisions must meet all state and federal achievement benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and achieve Governor Kaine's goals for elementary reading: advanced diplomas; increased attainment of career and industry certifications; and participation, if eligible, in the Virginia Preschool Initiative. Extra points can be earned for other performance measures including the Governor's Nutrition and Physical Activity Scorecard.

Additional awards were announced as well. The second tier honor in the VIP program is called the Board of Education's Excellence Award. Twenty-four school divisions and 544 schools earned this second tier award. The criteria to qualify for this award are that all state and federal accountability benchmarks for at least two consecutive years have been met and significant progress has been made toward goals for increased student achievement and expanded educational opportunities set by Governor Kaine and the Board.
Nineteen school divisions and 475 schools received this award.

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SCHOOL DIVISION and the following schools received this award:

  • BROADWAY HIGH SCHOOL
  • ELKTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • ELKTON MIDDLE SCHOOL
  • FULKS RUN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • JOHN C. MYERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • LACEY SPRING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • MCGAHEYSVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • MONTEVIDEO MIDDLE SCHOOL
  • MOUNTAIN VEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • PEAK VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • PLAINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • SPOTSWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
  • TURNER ASHBY HIGH SCHOOL

(At left: Dr. Carol Fenn, Rockingham Superintendent; Mrs. Jeanette Toohey, SRES Teacher; Mr. Larry Shifflett, SRES Principal)

The third tier award, called the Board of Education Competence of Excellence Award was given to ten school divisions and 276 schools. To earn this award, all state and federal benchmarks for at least two consecutive years have been met and progress is being made toward the goals of the Governor and Board of Education.
Three RCPS schools were given this third tier Award:

Further info available: Press Release from Governor's Office (PDF); Virginia Department of Education Press Release (PDF)