What a day at Hull High School! At 2PM, our entire school - students, faculty and staff - gathered in the auditorium with the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Student Services Chair, Memorial School Principal, Jacobs School Principal and Assistant Principal, the Hull Teachers Association Leadership, members of the School Committee and members of the Board of Selectmen. These are the remarks that Mr. Devine gave to announce to the students that we ALL did it - Hull High School is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence!
Ten days ago, we gathered as a community here in our auditorium to start the 2012-2013 school year. I shared with you then, as I have since I arrived at Hull High School three years ago, that I believe that Hull High School is one of the best public high schools in Massachusetts, if not in the entire United States. Today, I can share with you that we are in fact one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. We are in fact one of the best high schools in the United States. This morning, the United States Secretary of Education announced that Hull High School is a National Blue Ribbon School. We are one of only 47 high schools in America earning this honor his year. This is an amazing achievement for our school, and, as with all good news, I want to share it with you myself.
We have been named a National Blue Ribbon School because we have shown exemplary improvement over the past few years. The Federal Department of Education has recognized what we already know: there are great things happening at Hull High School and we just keep getting better.
This achievement belongs to every single person sitting in this room. You students have worked hard, taken your classes and your work seriously. You have taken the MCAS each year and nailed them. The efforts that got us to where we are today started with Mr. Ford and the principals before him. Your teachers have worked so hard, sometimes even harder than you, to get you to learn and to get you to love learning. From the teacher that you had when you entered the Jacobs School to the ones you saw in class today and each and every one in between, they helped you achieve this great accomplishment today. Your teachers are amazing and they deserve our respect and our thanks.
In two months, I will bring home from Washington DC a National Blue Ribbon Flag that we will fly in front of our school. Norwell High School doesn't have one. Neither does Scituate High. And you know what? Cohasset High doesn't have one either. In fact, since the National Blue Ribbon program started 30 years ago, less than 50 public high schools in Massachusetts have ever received this honor. And we are one of them.
When I came to Hull High School, people asked me why I would leave a school like Norwell High School to come here. When they ask me now I will tell them that Hull High School is a National Blue Ribbon School. Whenever someone talks poorly about our school or your town, you tell them that we are a National Blue Ribbon School. Whenever someone talks about private schools and whether or not someone can get a great education at Hull High School you tell them that you go to a National Blue Ribbon School.
I am so blessed to be your principal. We have accomplished amazing things together in the past three years. Like I said to you ten days ago we can not be satisfied with what we have done in the past. We need to keep improving. But that is not for today. Today is for celebrating. We are Hull High School. We are one of the best high schools in the country. We are a National Blue Ribbon School. We are Hull High School. We did it. We showed them. I have learned that those who live in Hull are a proud people. Guess what? Today, you have another great reason to be proud. Congratulations.
Hull High School is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
