RCMS honored by ASU for academic achievements

 SCHOOL STORY THAT DESERVES

TO BE FRONT PAGE NEWS

(Editor's note: The following letter speaks for itself.  Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff at our own Rim Country Middle School for reinforcing what we have always said about the kids and teachers in this district.  They do great things together with very limited resources.)
 
March 25, 2011

Gary Witherspoon, Principal
Rim Country Middle School
P. O. Box 919
Payson, AZ 85547

Mr. Witherspoon:

The Options for Excellence Program, part of ASU’s Office for Education Partnerships, strives to help students, parents and educators find resources to improve educational achievement within our state.

We thank you for your application for our Lead and Inspire Award. Your application highlighted the improvement Rim Country has demonstrated on AIMS testing. This is very impressive considering the location and resources of Rim Country. It was very heartening for our review panel to read the student comments and learn how proud the students are of the programs they have been involved with and demonstrates to its students that they are important and that being successful is a community effort. The programs you have developed: the GEAR UP grant, the STEM and Language Art/Social Studies focus, and the Gifted Education Program are examples of how your staff demonstrates to its students that they are important and that being successful is a community effort.

Rim Country Middle School has been awarded the Lead and Inspire Award, Middle School Rural Division. We would like to present to you this award, honoring your staff and students for their achievements. We would like to present this to you 10:00 a.m., April 12, 2011 at your site. Janet Grant, chair of the Lead and Inspire advisory panel and Patricia Nash, director of the Options for Excellence Program will be on hand for the presentation. We would like to use this photo opportunity to publicize your school and its achievements on the http://leadandinspireaward.asu.edu website.

Congratulations on being recognized as a school that has worked hard to achieve much. It is evident by your application that you and your faculty care for your students and that they respect you and are thankful for your efforts.

Cordially,

Janet Grant
Options for Excellence
Education Partnerships
Arizona State University
(602) 496-2181 office
(602) 509 1182 cell