November 3 was a day of celebration at Lake Forest’s Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart as the Catholic girls’ high school was named a recipient of the newly-established Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools Award.
Woodlands was one of 28 Illinois schools — including 13 private institutions — recognized for academic excellence through the new state program.
“Being designated a Governor’s Blue Ribbon School is an incredible distinction, and these schools deserve to be celebrated,” Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said in a statement. “I congratulate this year’s honorees for their tremendous accomplishments and thank them for serving as models of excellence for schools across the state.”
To mark the achievement, Woodlands students, faculty, and staff dressed in blue on Nov. 3 as the campus was decorated in the school’s honorary color, complete with blue-themed treats.
“At a moment when quality education is more important than ever, we will never abandon our pursuit of academic excellence or recognition of the teachers and students doing the hard work every day,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in an release announcing the awards last month. “That’s why we are proud to honor 28 Illinois schools as part of the new Governor’s Blue Ribbon Schools Program.”
Founded in 1858 and relocated to Lake Forest in 1904, Woodlands Academy currently enrolls 101 students. The state recognition is the latest in a string of academic achievements for the all-girls Catholic high school, which received a National Blue Ribbon Award in 2020.
“It’s an honor to be recognized again,” said Woodlands Director of Strategic Communication and Marketing Garett Auriemma in an email. “We proudly incorporate our Blue Ribbon School recognition into our ongoing story — highlighting it on our website, social media, and admissions materials, as well as through outreach to families, alumnae, and the broader community.”
School representatives are expected to attend a celebratory event at the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield next spring.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
