Thomas Hooker Parents, Staff React to Elementary School of the Year Designation (With Video)

The large corkboard behind Thomas Hooker Principal James Quinn's desk is papered with the manifold calendars and schedules and lists it takes to run a bustling elementary school. But one unassuming piece of paper tacked to the wall stands out – it's the key to Hooker being named the state's Elementary School of the Year.

"My favorite chart," Quinn says pointing to the sheet, graphs the number of students at the Meriden school who achieved "proficient" scores on third grade math and reading Connecticut Mastery Tests over the last five years.

The graph is split into two groups of students, those who qualify for free or reduced price meals and those who don't. In 2006, the groups were far apart, with the lower income students lagging dramatically behind the others. In 2011, the scores were just about the same, and both are high. (Click on the photo above to see the chart.)

Thomas Hooker has closed the dreaded "achievement gap" in third grade. It's the performance gulf that usually divides high income from low income students, and is something educators are struggling to overcome throughout the country. 

"That's every principal's dream – to close those gaps, have everybody achieving at the same level," Quinn said Tuesday.         

That parity in achievement is one of the reasons the Connecticut Association of Schools named Thomas Hooker its Elementary School of the Year for 2011 on Monday. Hooker shares the award with another school, Center School in Old Lyme.

"That’s just outstanding," said Regina Birdsell, the association's assistant executive director, of the school closing its achievement gap for many grades. She said that was one of the big reasons her group chose the Meriden school, one of 420 eligible elementary schools in the state. "They have to work quite hard at that. It's just so impressive to hear the faculty talk about the things that they do and the whole work ethic and the focus of aiming high – and that's for every child."

Thomas Hooker was nominated this summer for the award, and recently notified that it was a finalist. Just last week, members of the association came and observed the K-5 elementary school and talked with teachers, staff and most importantly for Birdsell, the students.

"When those kids come and talk to you – they tell it how it is," Birdsell said. "It was very evident in both schools, kids loved to be there. They really felt supported by the staff." 

The school was informed of its win on Monday afternoon, and Quinn, starting his fourth year as principal at the school, took to the PA system to announce the news to students. 

"There was a lot of yelling from different rooms around the school, 'Yay.' Then we got back to work," second grade teacher Mary Rosa said. Rosa, once a parent at the school, said it's the school's family atmosphere that makes it exceptional.

Birdsell agreed. "A lot of times people say 'family environment, family environment,' but this really rang true. Children talked about how they looked out for each other." she said. The school's student safety patrol is a prestigious appointment, Birdsell said, and many students told her about how they worked hard in fourth grade to be about to be in safety patrol in 5th grade to take care of the younger students.

Interviewed the day after the news broke, parents picking up their children at Thomas Hooker were overall delighted with the school and the award.

"I like how the teachers work one-on-one when the kids need help," said Shelley Asplund, who has a first grader and a kindergartener at the school. (See more parent and staff reactions by clicking the video above.)

Quinn said that the school employs small groups and individual attention particularly when teaching its number one priority: reading.

And although the win is a great honor, the work does not stop, according to Quinn. He wants to ensure that students continue to increase their reading and mathematics proficiency.

"We don't get to sit back, we don't get to rest on our laurels," Quinn said. "We get to feel really great, but we'll work just as hard."

The two schools will be honored in a banquet on Nov. 21 at the Aqua Turf in Southington.