ST. JOHN – With pompoms and a confetti cannon, students and staff of St. John the Evangelist Catholic School (SJE) celebrated being named a 2025 Blue Ribbon School during an assembly on Oct. 23. In recognition of its achievements as a high-performing school, the Catholic institution took time to celebrate the honor in the morning before participating in its Race for Education, a walk-a-thon fundraiser.
The National Blue Ribbon award has been a widely recognized distinction for exceptional teaching and learning since its inception in 1982 by the Ronald Reagan administration. Schools nominated for the award serve as models of effective and innovative practices for educators across the nation.
Each nominated school submitted a comprehensive application detailing its school culture, curriculum, assessments, instructional practices, professional development, leadership, family and community involvement.
SJE school principal Katie Fredericksen explained what the Blue Ribbon is to the students and congratulated them during the assembly. She noted it represents a significant milestone in the school’s history and was quick to recognize “our incredible teachers and staff, our hardworking students, and the parents and community members who support us every step of the way” and commended the exceptional SJE Blue Ribbon Committee, “whose leadership and dedication were vital in earning this prestigious award.”
Pastor of St. John the Evangelist, Father Sammie Maletta, was excited to congratulate Principal Fredericksen for the exceptional work she and her team put into the lengthy application process that earned them the Blue Ribbon distinction.
“We are thrilled to announce that our school has received the Blue Ribbon Award as an ‘Exemplary High Performing School,’” said Father Maletta. “This honor recognizes us as one of the top-performing schools in the nation, placing us in the top 15 percent for student achievement across the country.”
Most Rev. Robert J. McClory, Bishop of Gary, noted the dedicated leadership and staff at St. John the Evangelist, acknowledging that they truly live out their mission to “learn, live and love as Jesus taught us.”
Diocese of Gary Superintendent Dr. Colleen Brewer praised Fredericksen and the entire school’s faculty “for their commitment to provide a strong academic education grounded in the Catholic faith, while ensuring that every student is learning and thriving.”
Brewer affirmed that every school in the Diocese of Gary is committed to providing a high-quality, well-rounded education, rooted in the Catholic faith.
Another Diocese of Gary school, St. Paul Catholic School in Valparaiso, received the prestigious honor of being named a National Blue Ribbon High Performing School in 2022 and last year, St. Thomas More Catholic School in Munster was named a 2024 Blue Ribbon School for its exemplary gap-closing achievements. St. Patrick Catholic School in Chesterton was honored as a Blue Ribbon recipient in 2014.
As part of a move to scale back the federal role in education, the U.S. Education Department officials told state education agencies on Aug. 29 that they were ending the longstanding National Blue Ribbon Schools program, which honors high-performing schools.
Although the federal government will not be formally hosting “blue ribbon” awards going forward, the Department of Education is encouraging states to recognize the schools they nominated for the 2025 competition, so the schools that put in the work to earn these prestigious honors will be celebrated, nonetheless.
Fredericksen concurred.
“Even with the Blue Ribbon federal program being discontinued, it doesn’t take away from the work by the entire community to meet such extraordinarily high standards,” she said. “We are honored to be included in the last cohort of schools receiving this prestigious award.”
The school will continue celebrating the recognition with the Council for American Private Education, Indiana Department of Education, the National Catholic Educational Association and the local St. John the Evangelist community in the year ahead.
