Saints Philip and James School In Exton Wins 2023 Blue Ribbon Award

EXTON, PA —Students, parents, and staffers at Saints Philip and James Parish School Friday celebrated the school’s designation as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School with a pep rally in the school gymnasium.

The celebration featured a visit by Phillie Phanatic and a video message from former NFL Most Valuable Player Matt Ryan, an alumnus of the Exton school.

The school community encompasses parts of the townships of West Pikeland, Charlestown, East Whiteland, West Whiteland, and Uwchlan townships.

“I sat exactly where you guys are sitting right now,” Matt Ryan, the 2016 NFL MVP and a 1999 graduate of the school, said in a video message to students.

Now a football analyst for CBS Sports, Ryan enjoyed a 15-year career in the NFL. He spent all but the last year of his career with the Atlanta Falcons, leading Atlanta to Super Bowl LI after the 2016 season.

“None of that is as important as the foundation I built as a young kid and as a student at Saints Philip and James,” Ryan said. “To go along with the values my parents instilled in us, those values were reinforced at school. And it built a foundation for me to become the man and the dad, and the husband I am, and certainly the football player that I was.”

Sister Teresa Ballisty, principal and a servant of Immaculate Heart of Mary, said the celebration is the culmination of years of careful planning, the sacrifices of our teachers, staff, and families, and belief in our mission to provide students with an excellent education rooted in our faith and values.

The celebration also included Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, retired Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia; officials from the Office of Catholic Education at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; Sister Mary Ellen Tennity, superior general of the sisters; Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and others.

Saints Philip and James School is one of 13 in Pennsylvania to receive the honor. Of the 353 schools recognized nationwide, 40 non-public schools were Blue Ribbon award winners.

This is the second Blue Ribbon award for Saints Philip and James, with the first awarded in 1989-90.

The Rev. Joseph C. Dieckhaus, pastor of Saints Philip and James Parish, noted the value of the school to the larger community.

“In a world with much fear, uncertainty, and division, our school is the source of great faith, hope, and love,” said Father Dieckhaus. “While the Blue Ribbon award is an affirmation of the excellence of our school, its true measure is in preparing our students to carry the light of Christ out into our community and world.”

Tribute To Principal Ballisty

Sister Ballisty, winner of the U.S. Department of Education’s Terrel H. Bell Award, was also recognized during the ceremony.

The honor is bestowed on outstanding school leaders and the vital role they play in guiding students and schools to excellence. Sister Ballisty was one of only nine winners receiving the Terrel Bell Award in the 2023 National Blue Ribbon cohort.

“The Blue Ribbon award belongs to our entire school family,” said Pat Folan, chair of Saints Philip and James School Board of Limited Jurisdiction. “This achievement was made possible by Sister Teresa and her exceptional leadership. We owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude for her work.”

Saints Philip and James School educates students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school has also been named a “School of Distinguished Instruction” by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia each year since the award’s inception in 2019.