Bulldog pride was on full display at the end of the school day on Friday afternoon as Botetourt Elementary School held an assembly in its gymnasium for the school’s students to celebrate the school being selected a 2025 National Blue Ribbon School. The program was filled with games and fun for the students and included a number of dignitaries from the county who celebrated the accomplishment with the children. Just 350 schools in the nation receive this honor each year with only seven in Virginia receiving this recognition of academic success. In top photo, third grader Dalton Coffey was the overall winner in a contest where he pitched “snowballs” to his teacher. Coffey won a free recess period for his class, as well as bragging rights for the third grade. The spirited program also included dancing, ending appropriately with the song “Who Let The Dogs Out?” Each grade level will have banners in their hallway celebrating the accomplishment. Showing off the preschool and kindergarten ban...