Fiske Elementary School in Wellesley celebrates its Blue Ribbon designation

November has been such a balmy month that assembling the Fiske Elementary School community outdoors on Monday to celebrate their recent national award seemed like a no-brainer. Until the weather decided to turn seasonable, and a drizzle—the only precipitation in at least a month—moved the festivities inside. No matter. Custodians relocated chairs and sound equipment in record time, families made their way across the parking lot, depositing umbrellas outside the door, and the show went on in the gym.

Fiske Elementary School, Wellesley — Fiske kids hold show off their school’s National Blue Ribbon flag. Back row: Fiske Falcon; Fiske principal Rachel McGregor; Superintendent David Lussier. Fiske was one of only 356 public and private schools recognized nationally this year as a Blue Ribbon School. “To put that into perspective, Lussier said, “there are more than 100,000 public and private schools in the United States.” At the state level, Fiske was one only nine that garnered the award.

The Fiske community has been on Cloud 9 since earlier this fall, when the school was named a National Blue Ribbon Schools award winner by the U.S. Department of Education as a top performer among public and private institutions.

“Last week Ms. Stoetzel and I had the honor of traveling all the way to Washington, DC to accept this prestigious award on your behalf,” Principal Rachel McGregor told the assembled crowd of about 300 including students, family members, Select Board member Colette Aufranc, School Committee Chair Linda Chow and Co-Chair Nikki Offenlach, Superintendent David Lussier, and a representative from State Rep. Alice Peisch’s office.

The Fiske band played patriotic songs for the crowd, the Fiske Falcon mascot swooped around, pumping up the excitement, and the coveted Blue Ribbon flag was displayed for all to see. By now, it’s surely settled into its new home up the flagpole outside Fiske’s front entrance. As they say on Hastings St., winning the award was Fiske-tastic.

Fiske was one of 356 schools nationwide to be recognized and one of nine Massachusetts schools to earn the Exemplary High Performing School award (see criteria).

Hardy Elementary School, in 2021, was the last Wellesley school to score the Blue Ribbon honor. Sprague earned the recognition in 2010.