[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E928-E929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     HONORING CATHERINE O. SPATOLA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 1999

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Catherine O. 
Spatola, the principal of P.S. 123K in Brooklyn, New York. For over 20 
years Ms. Spatola has been a beacon in the community and a role model 
to her students, and this week her service to the community will be 
officially recognized as the auditorium at P.S. 123K is named in her 
honor.

[[Page E929]]

  This honor is fitting for a woman who has worked so hard and touched 
so many lives in so many ways. Her teaching and her leadership have 
been dynamic. She has sought to bring out the best in the students and 
the best in the community by ensuring that the educational experience 
at P.S. 123K has been complete, engaging and dynamic.
  Using her experience as an accomplished drama and music instructor, 
she worked to develop special initiatives such as Glee and Dance Clubs 
which perform city-wide. Her program has developed outstanding 
performers who enrich the community while improving themselves.
  She has created and implemented essay, art and storytelling 
competitions within the school that has helped students tap into and 
expand their creative powers. Because of her efforts, students are 
participating in state, city and district-wide writing and art 
contests. The program she created boasts the citywide winner of the 
1992 Storytelling Contest and the first place statewide winner of the 
1993 SABE Essay Contest.
  Ms. Spatola challenges students' thinking by holding school-wide 
celebrations which honor the rich and varied cultures and traditions 
reflected in the community. The celebrations honor Puerto Rico 
Discovery Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and African-American 
History, Pan-American Day, as well as Asian, Italian, Jewish and Irish 
heritages. By exposing her students to these diverse traditions, she 
not only enhances their educational experience, but deepens the roots 
of the community and strengthens its fabric.
  In addition to ensuring that students have the tools to succeed in 
the future, Ms. Spatola has worked to provide them with an inside view 
into the working world by creating a Career Conference Day. Through 
this initiative, students are able to meet with individuals from a 
variety of fields and a number of different occupations. This forum 
gives the students a chance to explore ideas and possibilities that 
exist for them, and find out the challenging and exciting futures that 
they can pursue.
  All of these attributes make Ms. Spatola an important member of P.S. 
123K and a valued member of our community. She stands out to all of us 
as a model for leadership and her contributions underscore the 
important role that educators play in the lives of our children and in 
the future of our communities. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating Ms. Spatola and wishing her well as she continues to 
touch the future.

                          ____________________