District Recognized with State Red, White & Blue Schools Award
Posted on 10/24/2024
Plainville Community Schools has been awarded a 2023-2024 “Red, White & Blue” school district designation from the State of Connecticut, for its districtwide Veterans Day programming.

According to the Connecticut Old State House website, the Red, White & Blue Schools program recognizes K-12 public and private schools that are going above and beyond in their delivery of civic education. By participating in this program, schools are promoting being active and engaged members of their communities. Schools design civic engagement projects that promote students being active and engaged members of their communities. They use the annual Red, White & Blue Schools rubrics as guides and submit their projects for review. To qualify, at least one class in a school must meet the program’s minimum standards as outlined in the rubrics. Whole school systems may be recognized if elementary, middle, and high school classes participate.

Plainville High School History Department Instructional Leader, TJ Riccardo recognized the opportunity to submit an application for Plainville Community Schools on behalf of the extensive annual Veterans Day programming in place in all five Plainville Schools.  “Each school was so helpful; I asked each school’s faculty to forward a summary of their Veterans Day events, from which I designed a presentation to submit to the Red White & Blue Committee,” explained Riccardo. As a result, the Plainville school district was selected for this extraordinary recognition. 

Riccardo attended an awards presentation at the Old State House on October 21st along with fellow Connecticut school and school district honorees. 

 “The faculty of Plainville Community Schools work hard to include the community to make the Veterans Day celebrations meaningful for our students. I thought it was important that the district be recognized for its efforts in commemorating Veterans Day,” noted Riccardo.

“It is wonderful to see the district recognized for engaging students in these activities that simultaneously value and reciprocate appreciation for our Veterans,” added Reas.

Red, White & Blue Schools is a partnership program between the Connecticut Secretary of State, the Connecticut State Department of Education, and the Connecticut Democracy Center in residence at Connecticut’s Old State House. Support is provided by the Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts and CT Humanities.

In photo: Connecticut Secretary of State, Stephanie Thomas, Executive Director, Connecticut Democracy Center at Connecticut's Old State House, Sally Whipple, Plainville High School faculty member / Instructional Leader TJ Riccardo, and State Department of Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker.