The Council for American Private Education announced that St. Mark School in Vienna was one of two schools in Virginia named a 2025 CAPE Blue Ribbon School last month.
The school community had just won a blue ribbon; now, they were trying to become one.
On a sunny fall afternoon Oct. 17, St. Mark students marched onto a grassy field beside the school playground. Some wore yellow spiritwear T-shirts and others blue uniforms. Teachers shepherded the yellow-clad students to the center and positioned the rest into the shape of a blue ribbon around them. From the edge of the field, Principal Kimberly Parker consulted a drone camera, then called out instructions to teachers via walkie talkie.
When the whole school was finally in place for the photo, Parker had one final message for everyone. “Ladies and gentlemen, give yourself a big round of applause because you deserve it,” she said. “We are so incredibly proud and happy for you.”
Previously, the U.S. Department of Education awarded the Blue Ribbon of Excellence to schools around the country. After receiving good news about student test scores, St. Mark administrators began the application process by working with CAPE, which ultimately nominated them to the Education Department. Over the summer, St. Mark received word that they had won and that the official announcement would be made in the fall. But by then, the administration had terminated the program.
Fortunately, in lieu of official governmental recognition, CAPE announced the non-public schools blue ribbon winners for this year Oct. 15. St. Mark is the only Catholic school in Virginia to receive the award.
“The ending of the U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School program, which happened just before St. Mark School was to be announced as a 2025 recipient, does not diminish the significance of what the St. Mark School community accomplished to make that list,” said Joe Vorbach, diocesan superintendent of schools. “We are very pleased that the Council for American Private Education is recognizing St. Mark and 54 other U.S. private schools as 2025 CAPE Blue Ribbon Schools.”
St. Mark School was founded in 2003. The school has 357 students and two classes per grade, kindergarten through eighth grade. It was the first primary school in the diocese to welcome students with intellectual disabilities. They were previously named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education in 2015.
Instead of having a one-day celebration, the school is celebrating its win throughout the year with different events, said Parker. A few of the activities include blue ribbon-themed art projects, blue frosted donuts on Mardi Gras, blue Italian ice on field day, and a fun run with blue powder tossed on the runners. The students are excited. “I just think it’s awesome that we won it for a second time and I’m just really happy that we get to celebrate it,” said eighth grader Emily Gurzo. “I think it’s the best school.”
“The atmosphere is great, everyone cares for each other and it definitely shows because of all the fun events we have with each other,” added eighth grader Ryan Hooker.
Karli Nickerson, a mother of three St. Mark students and the president of the Parent, Teacher, Parishioner Organization, said winning the blue ribbon was less of a surprise and more of an affirmation of the school’s hardworking students, teachers and administrators. “It’s a wonderful community of teachers who are sincerely invested in our children, it’s the leaders that are setting the milestones ahead for the school, and also the parent community. This is such a welcoming community,” she said.
Nickerson is looking forward to seeing all the smiling faces during the party-filled, blue ribbon-theme school year. “It’s what we’re here for — smiling children,” she said.
Maraist is a freelancer from Reston.
