[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E899-E900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING SPRAGUE HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of OREGON

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 1999

  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you this morning to 
salute Sprague High School in Salem, Oregon, which has been named a 
1999 ``Grammy Signature School, Gold Award.''
  I want all my colleagues in Congress, everyone involved in the 
Sprague Music Department, and everyone who cares about kids and music 
to know how proud I am of them and of this accomplishment.
  The Grammy Signature School Program is a special part of the Grammy 
Awards that recognize professional artists. We've all seen the Grammy 
Awards on television, and this Signature School Program is a special 
part of that prestigious recognition that singles out excellent high 
school music programs.
  I am delighted to congratulate Sprague High School as one of sixteen 
schools across the

[[Page E900]]

country to receive the inaugural Grammy Signature School Program award.
  Salem's Sprague High School is known world-wide as a high school that 
is committed to fine music. Whether it is the orchestra winning world-
wide awards in Europe, the choir taking top national honors, or the 
band setting toes to tapping across the continent, Sprague teachers and 
students have worked hard together to make music that inspires.
  These days, it's not easy teaching things that some people think are 
``extras,'' and music programs are often the first to land on the 
budget chopping blocks.
  But anyone who has seen children in an orchestra practice, or heard 
the voices of a high school choir warming up in harmony, or delighted 
to the improvised rhythms of a high school jazz ensemble, knows that 
music and the arts aren't ``extras'' at all.
  Those are essential elements not only of critical thinking and 
intellectual discipline, but also important places of physical and 
emotional refuge for students who are inspired by the arts. We are all 
too keenly aware of the need for students to have a sense of belonging 
in their schools, and by honoring the arts, we honor those students who 
thrive in the arts, and by encouraging them our culture is enriched.
  So I am proud today to stand before you to honor the parents, 
teachers, music directors, principal Mark Davalos, and especially the 
students who pour their hearts and souls into creating music that 
brings joy to all.

                          ____________________