On September 26, 2019,  Day Creek Intermediate School received the Blue Ribbon Award from the US Department of Education in Washington, DC. Day Creek is the sole middle school in California and only one of 362 K-12 schools in the country to receive the award. 

Mr. Apodaca, Day Creek’s principal, expressed his pleasure in what the school has become, since he became principal in 2017.

“(I feel) proud, very proud. It’s a huge honor. I’m proud of my students, proud of my teachers, proud of our community, (and) every member on this campus,” said Mr. Apodaca. 

Parents and students may be aware of Day Creek’s many prior state recognitions: California Distinguished School, Gold Ribbon Award, and the Golden Bell Award. Now, our DCIS community can add a national award to the trophy case.

Day Creek won the award in the category of “Exemplary High Performing”. According to the National Blue Ribbon Eligibility Certification, a school has to meet the state’s high performance targets in language arts, mathematics and other subject matter. 

In addition, our school earned its award because of our PACK program. PACK (Personally Achieving Character and Knowledge) has two central purposes. The first is character-driven, where teachers emphasize the importance of positive personal attributes. Secondly, PACK focuses on academics, separating students by level in strengthening their math and language arts skills. 

One feature of the award is that the honor is permanent. According to the U.S. Department of Education, “A school’s National Blue Ribbon School status does not expire. Once a school receives the award, it remains a National Blue Ribbon School.”

What does this mean for the future of Day Creek?

“Earning the National Blue Ribbon really allows us to think bigger, to really believe in what we’re doing, (and) continue to strive for excellence in our PACK program. It is a lot of work for teachers, but we know it’s the best for kids, and we’ll continue to meet everybody’s needs, and be a fun place for kids to go,” Mrs. Tarasi said.