Excellence in education at Bentworth
BENTLEYVILLE – Bentworth Middle School isn’t huge, but its students and staff met big challenges in terms of academic excellence and sense of purpose and vision.
“It’s all about the journey and not the destination,” said Bruce Vosburgh, director of the Pennsylvania Don Eichorn Schools: Schools to Watch Program, which celebrated the school’s successes Friday.
Bentworth Middle School is among more than 400 schools in the state to receive the distinction from the program that strives to assist middle schools in achieving excellence based on criteria set by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform.
The school’s 26 teachers underwent professional development at California University of Pennsylvania to use a team approach to educating their 400 students and learn how to better meet the challenges of reaching early adolescent students.
The program also recognized the school for social equity and its sensitivity to students in that age group, Vosburgh said.
Principal David Schreiber told students Friday the award is a reminder they are just as talented as those in bigger, richer districts.
“I expect you to make the world a better place,” Schreiber said.
“Students, you are a big part of this award,” added George Lammay, assistant Bentworth superintendent.
Lammay said the district has a lot to celebrate. Last year, the high school was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for closing achievement gaps, and Bentworth also was accepting an award Friday for striving to achieve energy efficiency in the buildings.
The Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance Energy Education Fund gave Bentworth the award for reducing the district’s energy consumption by 10 percent.
Lammay said the district in the past year reduced its electric bills by $120,000, money that can be used for educational programs.
“It’s an incredible achievement,” he said.