Stuckey Elementary makes the grade in Las Vegas with national Blue Ribbon distinction

On a Wednesday morning, fourth-graders at Stuckey Elementary School are huddled in groups, discussing a math word problem.

Their teacher, Emily Ritchie, says word problems can be intimidating for students. But at the recently Blue Ribbon-appointed Stuckey, 4905 Chartan Ave., not only do students bounce ideas off one another, Ritchie said they also gain confidence this way to tackle the problems alone in the future.

“My goal as a teacher is to make every student feel like they matter and make every student feel valued no matter their ability, what they excel in or what they need help in,” she said.

In September, Stuckey was added to the list of 329 schools that have been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The recognition is given for academic excellence or progress in closing achievement gaps.

Before the recognition, Stuckey received five-star ratings from the Nevada School Performance Framework rating systems for five consecutive years.

Stuckey Principal Joseph Rekrut said it doesn’t have any special academic programs that other schools don’t have. Instead, he credits its success to his teachers and staff — most of whom he handpicked and have been at Stuckey since it opened in 2010 — and to high levels of parent involvement. There are even desks set up in the hallways where parents sit and help students practice flash cards and vocabulary words.

“When you have parents and the community involved in the school, a trust gets built,” Rekrut said. “When you have the home and the school working together, and everybody in these kids’ lives is pulling in the same direction, they do their best, and good things start to happen.”

Fourth-grader Farhan Chowdhury, who serves in Stuckey’s student council, said he’s enjoyed school because his teachers challenge him in the classroom.

“They always give you new chances,” Farhan said. “They’ll try to trick you sometimes, but I think that’s because they actually want you to work harder.”

Despite the recognition, Rekrut said there is still room for improvement. Last year, Stuckey students’ test scores fell after taking the Smarter Balanced assessment for the first time. The standardized test is taken online. Suspecting computer skills might have contributed to the students’ performances, Stuckey added a technology period to its curriculum to prepare the students for that portion of the test.

“I fully expect our numbers are going to be higher,” Rekrut said.

To reach View intern reporter Rocio Hernandez, email rhernandez@viewnews.com or call 702-387-5233. Find her on Twitter: @rociohzz