By Kate E. Salute
This year, Howard T. Herber Middle School was one of them.
The school was honored last month, when Orysia Dmytrenko from the Federal Department of Education presented Herber Principal David Zimbler with the award in front of the student body.
A total of 295 schools across the nation were honored with the award for 2004-05 school year - including only 12 middle schools, only nine schools in the state of New York and only three on Long Island.
Karen Henry, PTA vice president, was at the school when the students found out about their achievement. "The principal came over the loudspeaker and they were just so proud about it," Henry said. "All the classes could hear the other classes hooting and hollering."
It was Zimbler who took the helm of Herber and pointed the school in an award-winning direction. Zimbler came to Herber last year, traveling from across the street, where he had been assistant principal at Malverne High School. Prior to his arrival, Herber had been through a number of principals in a short time. The instability of leadership left the school in disarray.
"I inherited a great staff," said Zimbler. "What was here was great, but there needed to be a focus, a goal. So we sat down, the staff, myself and [Vice Principal Steven] Gilhuley, who was also new at the time, and we focused on what we wanted to do. We discussed how we can make change, improve. Curriculum development and alignment with the state standards and what they test the children on as well as incorporation of the real world is what we came up with. There is no reason why a child can't incorporate the skills they learn in school and test-taking techniques into the real world."
After identifying the challenges ahead, Zimbler and his staff got to work. They created committees, developed educational strategies, tried to improve the image of the school and came up with support services for students who require additional assistance, also known as a Student Action Plan, or SAP.
Educational strategies included new teaching methods that both the principal and assistant principal tried out first hand. Zimbler said, "My famous quote that I live by is, 'If you talk the talk, walk the walk,' which means that what I express, I also do. As principal, I still go into the classroom and teach, as does the assistant principal. So when we're talking about different techniques in the classroom, we're in the classroom too, using this, making the connection, seeing if it works."
SAPs include student mentor programs with the high school, extra help, home visits, Saturday academy, after-school enrichment and test-preparation programs.
The image of the school has changed, and continues to change, from the inside out. Increased student and teacher recognition, additional activities, beautification and community service have certainly helped with the school's boosted achievement status.
The proof is in the pudding, as Henry said, "[The Blue Ribbon award] really points to the school in a positive way. When kids feel they are going to a good school, they want to be good students, they want to be the best they can be and get good grades."
Zimbler, who will make a presentation in Washington, D.C., on how Herber became a Blue Ribbon school, attributes the "positive gains and tremendous leaps," to the staff, the parents for their trust and support and to the students themselves for their great work ethic.
