Finally, the nation has recognized something that Newtowners have known all along: Newtown High School is a blue ribbon school.

The high school was presented this week with the prestigious Blue Ribbon School Award from the US Department of Education, one of just two schools in Connecticut and 198 schools nationwide to get the honor. The school was nominated by the state Department of Education for the honor, and it was assessed by federal officials in four areas: the dynamic interaction between students and teachers; elements within the school that are conditions for success; how the school functions as a member of the larger community; and the coherence of a school’s overall assessment system.

We congratulate the Newtown High School’s administration, faculty, and particularly the students for their blue ribbon achievement. Their hard work and dedication to excellence will ultimately be rewarded not with ribbons but with better lives.