Campolindo has been recognized as one of 2015’s National Blue Ribbon schools. The list of 334 winners was released by the U.S. Department of Education on September 29, .

“This honor recognizes your students’ accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in a video message announcing the schools. “Your journey has taught you collaboration, intentional instruction, and strong relationships in school and with your community. You represent excellence—in vision, in implementation, and in results—and we want to learn as much as we can from you.”

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is run by the U.S. Department of Education. According to associate principal Karen Findlay, the award can be given to an elementary, middle, or high school, and is based on the school’s academic performance. “It has to be either [that the] school achieves very high learning standards, or they’re making notable improvements,” she said. “You have to apply for this, and you have to qualify. Our students achieve very high learning standards, and that’s how we qualified.”

State Assembly woman Catharine Baker visited Campolindo on October 8 to deliver the official certificate. “It’s recognizing great American schools. So it’s nice to know that you go to a great american school,” Findlay said.

“I think it’s really a privilege because we have such great academics and such great teachers that really push the students everyday,” said sophomore Katie Klein of the award.  “I really feel like everyday I come to Campo that I learn something new, and it really helps me for whats to come in the future.”

“The students that attend here are what make it such a fine place to work,” said math teacher Jennifer Frugaletti. “The students are the ones who earned the Blue Ribbon because they’re the ones who did the achieving.”

An awards ceremony for the Blue Ribbon schools will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C. from November 9 to November 10.