[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1185-S1186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NATIONAL APPRECIATION DAY FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

 Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, today I want to recognize 
National Appreciation Day for Catholic Schools, a day to acknowledge 
the important and valuable contributions Catholic schools make to our 
nation's children, to local communities, and to the nation. Nationally, 
there are over 7.6 million students in 8,200 Catholic schools. In my 
home state of Illinois, there are over 215,000 students in 598 Catholic 
schools. In addition, I am a product of Catholic education, having 
attended Catholic schools for both elementary and high school.

[[Page S1186]]

  Last year, 40 Catholic secondary schools were awarded the Excellence 
in Education Award, the nation's highest honor in education, by the 
U.S. Department of Education. In my home state, Boyland Catholic High 
School in Rockford, Illinois, was awarded the Excellence in Education 
Award for outstanding educational achievement.
  Two students from St. Patrick School in Ottawa, Illinois, Justyna and 
Alexsandra Ratajczak, wrote me about how much they enjoy going to 
Catholic school. Justyna wrote that St. Patrick School ``is like a 
second home for me and I can not imagine my world without it.'' This 
girl's love of school testifies to the fact that Catholic schools are 
doing something right. Mr. President, I applaud Catholic schools and 
all their outstanding teachers for their high success rate among 
students and thank them for their important contribution to educating 
America's youth.

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