BOWMAN - The Mighty Mohawks are now the Mighty Blue Ribbon Mohawks with Bethune-Bowman Middle/Elementary's designation as a 2008 No Child Left Behind "Blue Ribbon" winner by the U.S. Department of Education.

The award recognizes public and private schools that are academically successful or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement.

Bethune-Bowman was nominated for the honor because it performed among the top 10 percent in test scores in the state. In addition, differences in student achievement between demographic subgroups were reduced. Only four other schools in South Carolina won Blue Ribbon designation this year. All nominees were required to have made Adequate Yearly Progress under NCLB for the past three years to be eligible.

On Friday, the Bethune-Bowman school family held a gala celebration to mark the major achievement. The celebration kicked off with an inspirational welcome by Principal Parrie Hook, who reiterated the school motto: "Excellence By Choice ... Not By Chance."

Hook commended the students for the accomplishment.

"I want to commend you and your teachers for your hard work, and I want to ask you to keep working hard to keep representing the community, your parents, yourself and our school in a positive light," the principal said.

Among those attending the event were Melvin Smoak, superintendent of Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5; Sen. John W. Matthews, Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter and Bowman Mayor Zelda Pelzer.

"I can remember the line of a poem. It goes: 'They said it couldn't be done, but you did it; you can do anything you want to do,'" Smoak said. "I want to say that you represent OCSD 5 very well."

Smoak presented Hook with a plaque commemorating Bethune-Bowman Middle/High's Blue Ribbon achievement.

Sen. Matthews challenged the administration, faculty and students to continue to "think big" and "work hard."

"It's a great day in Bowman," Matthews said.

Cobb-Hunter said, "There is nothing that can stop you now but the face looking back at you in the mirror."

Pelzer also added her congratulations, urging the students to "keep marching, keep trying."

The audience was introduced to a new program Bethune-Bowman is implementing called the Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Initiative. Members of the faculty and staff demonstrated the program through a skit.

The BBHS Varsity Cheerleaders and Pep Squad also performed, along with LaTarsha Carter, Bethune-Bowman "Teacher of the Year" who portrayed the character "Granny Mo." Granny Mo made some sage observations about growing up in the early 1900s, quipping, "The only Blue Ribbon we had came on the rice bag."

"The administrators, faculty, staff and students continuously strive for academic excellent while building the Mohawk Community," Carter said.

Hook said the school's greatest challenge now "is maintaining where (we) are, because it's very easy to slip up. We are going to keep pursuing excellence." There's still room for improvement, she said.

Hook has previously said the school worked very hard over the last few years to go from unsatisfactory to excellent.

"It has been a team effort. With great community and parental support, we are offering a climate of high expectations. We feel children only live up to the expectations we have for them," the principal has said.

This is the first time Bethune-Bowman has received the Blue Ribbon Award.

"Our teachers have given of themselves by staying after school for children having difficulties," Hook has said. "More than anything else, we don't accept failure."

Bethune-Bowman received the Palmetto Gold Award for the past three years and was the only high school in the state to be featured on SCETV in 2008 for its excellent student academic achievement and steady improvement.

Earlier this year, the school was named as a Red Carpet School by the S.C. Department of Education, and it was listed as one of America's Best High Schools for 2007-2008 in U.S. News and World Report.

Friday's celebration ended with cake and ice cream.

T&D Correspondent Randy Thomas can be reached by e-mail at rtevents55@yahoo.com or by phone at 803-534-2436. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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