The Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy has always been a source of pride for School District 131, but its most recent accolade is a national feather in East Aurora’s cap: U.S. News and World Report recently named it one of the top middle schools in the country. Which is darn impressive, considering the well-respected media company uses data in math and reading pulled from state report cards – including graduation rates and how well students are prepared for high school – from over 79,000 public schools. The focus is not just on current scores, noted Principal Brian Valek, but on the growth students exhibit. “If you look at the students themselves,” he told me earlier this week, they are “hard working … but also come from families who value their education. “They don’t just get here by accident. … They want to be here,” he said. With good reason. According to district officials, the Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy focuses on STEM education, where students engage in coursework with a strong emphasis on technology integration across subjects. They are offered electives like robotics, design modeling and computer science, with the goal of solving real-world problems through project-based learning. But the school is also known for its commitment to character development, while also recognized for high academic achievement and student engagement. And it doesn’t hurt, Valek told me, that the small population – under 300 kids – contributes to a “great dynamic” that makes it easier for staff and students to connect. The principal, now in his fourth year with School District 131, says he sees that connection daily as he walks through the halls, noting how staff not only know all the kids by name but also their strengths and weaknesses. And Valek sees it when he pops into a classroom and realizes life lessons are being taught along with book lessons. Every fall, for example, the eighth-graders do a project on “nostalgia” that requires a deep dive – from walking tours to personal reflections – on how their community is tied to them. Many of the teachers, Valek added, have moved away from the lecture format into more of a “discovery” structure, where the emphasis is on how their lives connect to the outside world. Valek, who has been a middle school teacher for more than a dozen years, says he really enjoys this stage of development because “they wear their hearts on their sleeves” which can translate into a “real passion for learning,” especially when they are met by a staff which is equally enthusiastic about coming to school each day. “They value those kids as individuals but also the energy they bring into the building,” Valek insisted. The U.S. News and World Report honor was recognized at a recent East Aurora School District board meeting, and the school itself is in the process of planning a celebration with staff and students. Valek described the award as personally “gratifying” and “exciting,” but insists the school’s success is the result of a partnership with all parts – staff, students and families. The award means “our hard work is paying off,” he said, then quickly noted that, while staff is appreciative of where these kids are, “they continue to work on that vision of where they will go.” “We are on the right track,” said Valek, also noting the support from district leaders and the Board of Education. “But we are constantly looking at how else we can help these kids.” [email protected]