LPS & LUES Celebrate Title I Distinguished School Honors

Excitement was in the air on Friday, January 3, as Lyons Primary School (LPS) and Lyons Upper Elementary School (LUES) staff celebrated Lyons Primary School’s recognition as a 2023-2024 Title I Distinguished School by the Georgia Department continued from page

of Education. Being designated as a Title I Distinguished School means that the school is one of the topperforming Title I schools in the state. This designation is based on the school’s English Language Arts and Math scores on the Georgia Milestones Assessments, which are taken by the students each year, beginning in 3rd grade.

Because Lyons Primary School only serves students in grades Pre-K through 2nd grade, Lyons Primary School Principal Tracy Mulkey explained that the celebration would be honoring the Lyons Upper Elementary School 3rd Grade teachers as well, because these teachers also helped contribute to the award.

“That recognition is a joint effort between us and the 3rd grade teachers at Lyons Upper Elementary School, so we want to thank and congratulate them,” Mulkey remarked. “It is a true honor [to receive this award] because we believe that we are going to build a foundation for learning. We spend every day in Pre-K through 2nd grade working on building all of those foundation skills, and then, we send our babies to the upper elementary school and that is where it takes the dedication, commitment, collaborative culture, and true belief that all students can perform at the highest level.”

She emphasized, “That is a tremendous accomplishment – to take students in 3rd grade and be able to move them where they need to be to be recognized by the state.”

Mulkey surprised the Lyons Upper Elementary School 3rd grade teachers, assistant principal, and principal with a banner to display at their school to showcase their role in Lyons Primary School becoming a Title I Distinguished School. Lyons Upper Elementary School Principal Rhonda Stone spoke on the surprise. “We have been doing this a long time, and no one ever did this for us. Y’all have gotten the recognition for years and years, but no one has ever done this. So, thank you so much; we appreciate this so much,” she remarked. “It is a culmination. We know you get them the foundation to be able to get them there, and we thank you for that.”

Toombs County Superintendent Barry Waller also commented on the award and the collaboration between the schools. He told the attendees of the celebration that the job of Lyons Primary School and Lyons Upper Elementary School to bridge the gap between Pre-K through 2nd Grades and 3rd Grade was harder than it was for Toombs Central Elementary School, where there is more consistency throughout the grades because of being in the same building.

“Any time that you have to share kids from one school to the next, it is a huge accomplishment to have the collaborative effort for an award like this to be able to happen,” Waller emphasized. “We have great people doing great things every day. Our teachers move mountains every single day. So, without what [they] do every single day in the classroom with boots on the ground, the success would not happen. Every time someone asks about things, I’m quick to say that the teachers in the classroom are where its at – never, ever, will we take that for granted.”

Principal Mulkey added, “As a school, we are so grateful and honored to receive this prestigious designation, which reflects the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of our students, teachers, staff, and families in fostering a culture of academic excellence and our commitment to 'building a strong foundation for learning.' This honor also celebrates our intentional focus on student achievement, closing achievement gaps, and using innovative practices that support all learners. We are also so thankful for the partnership with Lyons Upper Elementary and their tireless efforts to make achievements like this possible. We look forward to building on this momentum and our continued focus on providing every student with the resources, opportunities, and support needed to succeed.”

Lyons Primary School will now don a plaque on the front of the school noting this accomplishment, as the school’s staff continues to work collaboratively with the Lyons Upper Elementary School staff to educate young students as well as possible.