Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary is located at 816 Norristown Road.
Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary has been named a National Blue Ribbon School for the third time by the Department of Education.
The Montgomery County school was one of 13 in Pennsylvania recognized as an “exemplary high-performing school.”
Anne Knapke, Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary’s head of school, said previous awards were in 2007 and 2017.
“We’re thrilled. This is our third time in approximately 16 years, and it just is a wonderful feeling due to the amazing efforts in collaboration with our entire school community,” Knapke said Wednesday.
The national designation spotlights excellence, with categories focusing on performance and closing achievement gaps, according to a U.S. education department spokesperson.
“Our focus is … preparing our students for the future, and the legacy that we have built with our graduates, and the amazing things they do out in the world,” Knapke said. “It’s very fitting and wonderful for our school community to be recognized in this way.”
Located at 816 Norristown Road in Lower Gwynedd Township, Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary employs 60 teachers and has 391 students enrolled in pre-kindergarten through eighth grades. The independent Catholic institution was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. The building previously housed the Spring House Public School, according to a school spokesperson, but was purchased by the Sisters in 1982.
“That’s where our legacy lies in Mercy and Catholic values with our students,” Knapke said. “We focus on service and developing leadership, so that they’re not only building a foundation to be academically successful, but our goal is for them to be able to positively impact the world around them in the choices they make.”
Knapke stressed how Gwynedd-Mercy “embrace(s) a holistic approach to education,” emphasizing attention to addressing the physical, social and emotional needs of students. She also touted the educational institution’s focus on smaller class sizes, with an average of 16 students per class.
In addition to core classes, the school offers elective courses, fine arts, languages and subjects focusing on “innovation,” with respect to science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM.
“We balance our academic rigor with an environment that nurtures the whole child,” she said. “We focus on the mind, body and spirit of our children, providing them with opportunities to engage with hands-on approaches and project-based learning and small class sizes … so that we’re building confident students that are prepared for whatever lies ahead in their future.”
Of the National Blue Ribbon school designees, a handful were located in the greater Philadelphia region. Other winners included Central Bucks High School-East in Bucks County; Saints Philip and James School in Exton, Chester County; Saint Philip Neri School in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia; and Saint Mary Interparochial School in Philadelphia. Other winners were located in central and western Pennsylvania. While the three aforementioned Catholic schools are affiliated with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Gwynedd-Mercy Academy is classified as an independent, private school.
“The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a statement. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”
For those at the school in Lower Gwynedd, Knapke said “there’s been a pep in everyone’s step” since the news was announced.
“It brings energy to our school, and especially to our teachers, our students and our families — just the acknowledgment of our efforts, and our hard work, and the fact that we are … you know, shooting for the stars,” she said.
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