PORTSMOUTH — St. Philomena School isn’t resting on its laurels. Last week the private, Catholic elementary school that serves nearly 500 students in pre-kindergarten through grade 8 learned it had been selected as a “Blue Ribbon School” for 2009.

The prestigious designation by the U.S. Secretary of Education recognizes excellence in education.

In all, 314 schools were bestowed with a Blue Ribbon nationally — 50 to private schools, 264 to public schools. St. Philomena is the only Rhode Island school, private or public, to be recognized this year.

“We pride ourselves on being an excellent school and advertise as a school of excellence,” said Donna Bettencourt-Glavin, principal. “We need that validated every once in a while from somebody outside, and this is a national award. To me, it validates our curriculum and validates our commitment to excellence.”

That’s important to all private schools, which have taken their fair share of lumps due to the sagging economy. Endowments are down and some parents are taking their children out of private schools and enrolling them in the public districts.

“Most Catholic schools are having difficulty with enrollment and part of the reason is the cost. With everyone in an economic slump right now, that’s a concern for every school,” said Ms. Glavin.

To that end, private schools need to set their bars higher than ever so that students and parents know they’re getting a good value, she said.

“Our parents are very demanding. If they’re paying for their children to be here, they’re expecting an excellent education. So we have to keep up with technology and curriculum. I always tell my staff that our curriculum is a living document; it can’t be stagnant,” said Ms. Glavin, who was a curriculum director for a public school district before she came to St. Phil’s four years ago.

It’s a challenge not only to compete with other private schools but with the public schools, too, she said.

“That’s something all of the private schools are faced with these days. Because of the No Child Left Behind Act, the public schools are stepping up to the plate and being accountable. We too (must be) accountable, and we don’t have the resources of the public schools. We have to do it for less and do it better for our students. We have to be competitive,” she said.

Thankfully St. Philomena has plenty of parental support, which is the mark of any good school, said Ms. Glavin.

“If you look at any public school that’s succeeding, it’s because the parents are involved,” she said. “It keeps us on our toes, which we should be. I have no problem with the parents being demanding, because we’re here for the children.”

A lot of asked of parents, and it doesn’t just involved the curriculum.

“After they pay their tuition, then we expect them to do fund-raising and raise more money,” said Ms. Glavin. “If you look at the average cost of a public school (student), it’s anywhere from $12,000 to $14,000. Here we charge $7,500 for tuition, so I often say to the parent, ‘We have to make up that money somewhere.’”

For that they turn to the Parents Club, which has a great stake in how the school performs. When she was in the public schools, Ms. Glavin said she’d ask the local parent group to hold a fund-raiser if she needed to buy computers or for a special program.

“That’s not the way it is here,” she said. “We rely on the parents raising at least $75,000 a year to support the school. The Parents’ Group is like an arm of the school; it isn’t some separate entity.”

‘Well-oiled machine’

Trish Onofrio, president of the Parents’ Club, likened her group to a “well-oiled machine” that’s succeeded primarily because its members have been organizing many of the same fund-raisers for years.

“The Spring Fair was happening was when I was a student there and it’s still happening,” said Ms. Onofrio, a 1978 graduate of the school who now has two sons at St. Phil’s: Jack and Ben, in grades 7 and 4, respectively.

She estimated that a good 75 percent of the eighth-grade class has been at St. Philomena since kindergarten, so some parents with more than one child attending the school have been involved for “10 or 15 years.”

The biggest fund-raiser is an auction and gala in November, which raises about $60,000 annually. Then there’s the Spring Fair and other smaller money-makers held throughout the year, such as Box Tops for Education and pizza and pasta lunches.

The Parents’ Club also organizes special events — father/daughter dances, pancake breakfasts — just for fun. “They do try to develop a sense of community spirit there and that’s part of what the Parents’ Club does,” said Ms. Onofrio. “It’s all about wanting to give back to the school community.”

Community service emphasized

St. Philomena qualified for a Blue Ribbon primarily because of the superior academic achievement of its students, who placed in the top 10 percent in both reading and math in “nationally-normed tests.”

However, the school prides itself on its focus on community service. Ms. Glavin and Vice Principal Jeffrey Moniz will speak on the topic “Approach and Practice to Teaching Social Responsibility” when they appear at the Blue Ribbon Schools award ceremony in Washington, DC in early November. (Only 12 presentation proposals were accepted and St. Philomena was the sole private school chosen to make one.)

Students do everything from collect provisions for St. Lucy’s Hearth (a transitional shelter for women in Middletown), educate people and collect money to help preserve the Amazon Rain Forest, participate in a buddy system where older students help the younger ones write letter and put together care packages for troops overseas, to helping out charities such as the Leukemia Society, Make a Wish Foundation and more.

“That’s what we do all year round. It isn’t just a Lenten project or an Advent project. We are always giving back to the world,” said Ms. Glavin. “I think that’s a learned skill, especially in this gimme, gimme society that we’re in. I say to the kids all the time, ‘What are you doing to make this a better world?’”

Four of the upper school students last week shared what they’re been doing to help others. Jessica Pitocco, whose mom works at the rectory at St. Lucy’s Church in Middletown, said she helped teach the young students there First Communion and plans on assisting with classes on First Reconciliation in November.

“I’ve been baby-sitting for some of the families in our neighborhood and I’m talking to my mom about helping out at the Potter League,” said Charlotte Roos. “We give a lot to Big Sisters, trying to help them out with clothes and things.”

Meggie helps out at the Martin Recreation Center in Newport, also known as “The Hut.” “It’s a basketball program. They hold lots of tournaments and I help out with admissions, the concession stand and scoring,” she said.

Faith Breen, who’s been a camp counselor at the school, took on a what’s-mine-is-yours approach to celebrate her last birthday.

“For my birthday last year, I asked for money and gift cards to Wal-Mart and Stop & Shop to go to Lucy’s Heart,” said Faith, who collected about $200 in gifts.

The spirit of giving is a direct reflection of the Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus, which founded the school in 1953. The convent, which used to be used as a retirement home for the sisters, has since closed. There are only two sisters left, but Ms. Glavin said the school still follows their mission of “charism” and keeps “it alive and well.”

“As a Catholic school, our goal isn’t just to teach them academics, but also to make them compassionate individuals.”

Other Blue Ribbon schools

The U.S. Government’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program, established in 1982, honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement to high levels.

In addition to being honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC, where each school receives a plaque and flag signifying their status, these schools serve as models for other schools throughout the nation.

St. Philomena School in Portsmouth took home the top honor this year, an award it was also bestowed in 1998.

Here are some other local schools that have been named Blue Ribbon Schools in the past:

Private

• St. Luke School, Barrington (1993 and 2003)

• St. Mary Academy-Bay View Riverside (1990 and 2001)

Public

• Agnes B. Hennessey School, East Providence (2005)

• Barrington High School, Barrington (2001)

• Barrington Middle School, Barrington (2003)