NORWICH – Holy Family School in Norwich has earned accreditation from the Middles States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), Principal Lydia Brenner announced.

“I am so proud to have Holy Family School receive this award of distinction,” Principal Brenner stated. “Recognition from Middle States is proof of not just the strength of the academic programs at Holy Family, but also the overall positive direction in which we are going. Together with our families, we at Holy Family are committed to a common goal of providing the best possible education for our students. Accreditation is good for our school, and it’s good for our community.”

Accreditation by Middle States is the culmination of a rigorous, multi-year process of self-evaluation and commitment to a defined set of research-based performance standards. The process confirmed that Holy Family School meets these standards in 12 areas including: mission, governance and leadership, finances, evidence of student learning, educational program, facilities, student life and activities, and others.

The president of MSA-CESS, Henry G. Cram, Ed.D., explained, “At Middle States Association, we look at the whole school – not just test scores – because we realize that improving outcomes requires a comprehensive approach.”

The team of evaluators from MSA-CESS who visited Holy Family School last year issued a report, which noted in particular, “the bright and clean facilities, smiles on students’ faces, and unwavering positivity of the building principal, Mrs. Lydia Brenner.”

Holy Family School is the first school in Chenango County to receive Middle States accreditation, and is one of 22 schools in the Syracuse Diocesan Schools system to achieve accreditation this year. More than 2,700 schools and school systems in 34 states and nearly 100 countries are accredited by Middle States.

Bishop Robert J. Cunningham of the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse said, “We are pleased to have earned Middle States accreditation and to be recognized for our commitment to promoting academic excellence while developing a strong moral conscience and embracing Catholic principles to enable students to meet lifelong challenges and demands in our rapidly changing world.”

Holy Family School, founded in 1922, serves students in preschool through eighth grade from across Chenango County. Holy Family is a safe, secure, and caring school that fosters responsibility, self-discipline, spirituality, and academic excellence. Holy Family’s Catholic education is intended to make one’s faith living, conscious, and active through the light of instruction.