Local School Celebrates Blue Ribbon Honor

Parents, teachers, administrative staff and about 820 students braved chilling winds and cold temperatures Tuesday morning to celebrate Fountain Valley’s Ethan Allen Elementary School being named a National Blue Ribbon School. 

The school, which is part of the Garden Grove Unified School District, was recognized last September by the U.S. Department of Education for its consistent high academic achievement, but it took several months before the official Blue Ribbon ceremony could take place at the school.

The assembly was held on the school’s blacktop and included an introductory speech by GGUSD President, Dr. George West, and a vocal performance by the school’s fifth and sixth grade chorus. The school’s band greeted parents and the student body as they prepared for the ceremony.

There also were presentations made by four Allen students who recently won a school speech contest. The performances included speeches, a poem and a rap. First grade speaker, Chloe Nguyen, said of Allen, “I think this is the greatest school in the whole world.”

Allen Elementary is among the top scholastic performers in Orange County and the state, ranking among the top 10 percent of all California schools based on the state's Academic Performance Index (API). The school scored 980 last year and has surpassed the elite 900 mark every year since 2004. 

The Blue Ribbon status has been awarded to 304 schools nationwide, and Allen has obtained this distinguished title despite its disadvantaged status. Approximately one-third of Allen’s students qualify for free or discounted school meals, while 30 percent are classified as English Language Learners.

Allen Elementary principal Dr. Andrew Heughins credits the school’s years of acdemic success to collaborative efforts made by parents, teachers, staff, students and the community. 

“I’m very proud of our staff and our whole community,” Heughins said. “My theme is that you don’t get something like this without everyone that is part of the community participating and just really supporting what we do. It’s the epitome of excellence. It’s an accumulation of all the hard work that so many people have put in over years, and really it’s our goal to just continue this and to keep going from here.”

Yen Vu, a parent of a second and fifth grader at Allen, says her children have been attending the school for only a year, but they like the school and she is proud of the school’s academic achievements. 

“I feel pride. It’s something the kids will always remember,” Vu said. “There’s an achievement they instilled in themselves, and I think it’s pushing them more. They want to be scholars and keep going further.”