Landing Elementary Celebrates Blue Ribbon Award

Landing Elementary invited students, parents and other members of the community to celebrate the school's recent acceptance National Blue Ribbon Award on Thursday morning in the school gymnasium.

Students and faculty members dressed in blue to signify the ribbon, and each class  prepared short presentations on why they are proud to be a Blue Ribbon School.

Landing was one of two schools on Long Island and one of 19 schools state-wide to receive the honor.

The 304 nationwide selected schools, including Greenport Elementary will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington D.C in November.

Landing Principal Michael Israel will attend a National celebration to accept the award on behalf of the school.

"I will take each and every student and member of this community with me in spirit to accept the honor," Israel said. "The Blue Ribbon will proudly fly outside of Landing."

The Blue Ribbon award recognizes elementary, middle and high schools—public and private—whose students achieve at outstanding levels, despite disadvantaged backgrounds. 

Mayor Ralph Suozzi, Assemblyman Charles Lavine, Superintendent Joseph Laria and members of the Glen Cove Police Department attended Thursday morning's event. They each prepared a short speech for the students and community.

Laria encouraged the children to continue to strive for excellence.

"The lesson we've learned here," Laria said, "is that we can do anything in life as long as we work hard and keep a positive attitude."

"All the stuff we do to make this city, state and country better doesn't mean anything if the children aren't educated," Mayor Suozzi said.

Assemblyman Lavine also spoke to the student body: "1000s of schools on Long Island, and only two got an honor from the President of the United States," Lavine said. "You got this because you all study hard."