Our Lady of Victory School in Washington, D.C., has received the National Blue Ribbon Schools Award for the third time, an honor announced by the U.S. Department of Education on Sept. 19. Private and public schools that win this award have demonstrated “overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups,” according to the department. 

Our Lady of Victory is one of 353 schools in the country being recognized with that award and one out of four in the District of Columbia. 

School officials said this achievement reflects the hard work that teachers, faculty, and students have put into their school. Our Lady of Victory, a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade institution with just over 200 enrolled students, opened in 1955 and has established its academic legacy for the years. In addition to being named a National Blue Ribbon School for 2023, Our Lady of Victory School also received that honor in 2016 and 2007.

Although the Department of Education announced the victory at 1 p.m., faculty and staff kept the secret a little longer to surprise the students at an assembly in the parish church at 2:30 p.m. 

Father Andy Gonzalo, pastor at Our Lady of Victory, led attendees in prayer. A row of students from different grades formed a line at the front of the church to share what they love about their school. 

Some of the sentiments shared by the students in front of the school included: “I love OLV. I see my friends, and I learn something new every day,” “I love OLV because it's inclusive,” “I love OLV because of my teachers,” and “I love OLV because of Mass.” 

Sheila Martinez, Our Lady of Victory School’s principal, broke the news to students, who erupted in applause and cheering, with some holding blue and white pom-poms. 

“Congratulations on all your hard work,” Martinez said.

Denise Ball, the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning for The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, addressed the crowd, praising the school for its “remarkable achievement.” 

“This is not just a momentous occasion for your school but a testament to the dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment of your entire school community,” Ball said. 

Ball said Our Lady of Victory School has always balanced academics with interpersonal growth for its students. 

“It is important to remember that it is not just about standardized test scores or academic prowess. It is about values, principles, and a strong foundation of faith that have guided your school community throughout the years,” Ball said. 

Sheila Martinez, Our  Lady of Victory School’s principal, and Katie Sague, the school’s vice principal, were interviewed by the Catholic Standard and discussed Catholic education, student success, and what they believe separates Our Lady of Victory from the rest.

Martinez shared what she thinks the “secret” to success is for Our Lady of Victory School as a three-time Blue Ribbon winner. 

“Commitment to the mission. I would say it’s about everybody: the students, the teachers, the parents, the parish, the pastor, all committing to the mission of the school to help children become the best person they can be. To love the church, to love God, to have a deep faith, but to also be academically excellent. It’s having both of those things kind of working together, both of those parts of our mission and being extremely committed to fulfilling our mission,” Martinez said.

Sague added that cultivating community is essential for students to feel supported throughout the years. 

“I also think there’s an enthusiasm for learning and some joy that’s infused throughout the day from our littlest pre-kindergarten 3 year olds up through our eighth graders, and they all just blend together into a big family. And there’s just that daily (belief that) today is a new day, and we’re moving forward, growing and learning and improving every day,” Sague said.

Along with the upcoming award ceremony in November, the flag they will receive, and the notoriety that comes with winning a Blue Ribbon School award, Martinez said the best part is the validation that the award gives to members of the school community for the hard work that they put in. 

“The main positive outcome of it is the affirmation that you feel as a school. The students feel pride in their school. The teachers feel acknowledged for all the hard work that they put in. The parents feel affirmed that they made a great educational choice for their child, putting their child here. The parish feels proud of its school,” Martinez said.

Working in Catholic education is a passion for Sague and Martinez, who both attended Catholic schools. Martinez grew up in the United Kingdom, and Sague grew up in Virginia, attending St. Michael Catholic School in Annandale, Virginia, and Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia.

“I went to Catholic school all my life, college, everything. And I like to imagine I could potentially work in a school that wasn’t Catholic. I like the idea that I could do that, but I actually couldn't. I know I really couldn’t because, for me, it is about the Gospel. So it is about young people meeting Jesus, knowing God, loving the Church. It’s really about that,” Martinez said.

Students prayed petitions for their school and community before chanting “O-L-V” as “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang played. Principal Martinez and Father Andy danced along in the aisle with students.

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Quotes from eighth graders at Our Lady of Victory School about their school’s Blue Ribbon Award (Catholic Standard photos by Mihoko Owada):

“I love how amazing and wonderful my teachers are and how much time they put into helping us learn and increase our academics,” Mariella Richa said. 

“I’m really happy [about the Blue Ribbon]. I didn’t think I would get to see that again, So it's really good to see that again, especially in my last year,” John Rohen said.

“I love all the kids and how nice they are and how much we get to learn here,” John Kimball said. “I think the [Blue Ribbon] is really great, all the teachers are really great.”

“[Winning the Blue Ribbon award again is] insane. I think all the teachers and the faculty here are very deserving of this award. They put in so much effort for us, and I know a lot of teachers go out of their way to make it seem more interesting…for us. And it’s just really nice to get it for my first year here and then my last year here,” Tselot Efrem said. She has been a student at Our Lady of Victory since kindergarten.