[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 92 (Thursday, June 26, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S6554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO MRS. MERRILL CATT AND THE RICE PADDY KIDS

 Mr. BUMPERS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Mrs. Merrill Catt, a speech therapist in the Weiner, AR, public school 
system and eight of her students who participated in a year-long 
project entitled ``The Rice Paddy Kids''. This project was designed to 
teach economics and provide hands-on learning experience to the 
students who ranged from third to eighth grade and were receiving 
speech/language therapy and resource services.
  Because the students live in the heart of the rice-producing region 
of Arkansas, which is the leading rice-producing State in the United 
States, the project focused on the production and marketing of rice. In 
the initial phase of the project the students gathered information and 
knowledge about rice and its economic impact locally and nationally. 
The second phase of the project consisted of hands-on learning 
opportunities as the students planned, advertised, and produced 
products containing rice and marketed their products to the student 
body and the community. In addition to the applications of economic 
concepts and basic skills contained in each phase, curriculum 
activities were incorporated to improve the students' individual 
language deficiencies. The students concluded the project by planning 
and implementing a rice banquet for their parents, business supporters, 
teachers, school administration and community members.
  What I've just summarized in several paragraphs takes many long hours 
of hard work and dedication to plan, organize, and implement. This is 
the second economic project Mrs. Catt has successfully undertaken to 
expand the knowledge and capabilities of her speech and language 
students, and I commend her for her initiative and willingness to go 
the extra mile for the benefit of her students and school. In addition 
to teaching these students about rice, she has shown them what can be 
accomplished when the important principles of responsibility, 
cooperation, perseverance, and innovation are utilized. I also 
congratulate the eight ``Rice Paddy Kids'' for a job well done. Not 
only are these students the benefactors of the project but they are an 
integral part of its success. While educating and helping themselves, 
they also educated and benefited their school and community.
  There are many school systems in Arkansas that are larger in terms of 
student population and funding than the Weiner school system. However, 
the accomplishments of Mrs. Catt and ``The Rice Paddy Kids'' are a 
perfect example of how bigger is not always better. They have 
demonstrated a principle in which I firmly believe: being from a small 
town is no excuse not to think big and achieve great things.

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