[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO OUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 1999

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to pay tribute to the faculty, 
parents, and students of Our Lady of Mercy School in Montgomery County, 
MD, for winning the Blue Ribbon Excellence in Education Award from the 
Department of Education.
  Our Lady of Mercy School has a tradition of academic excellence, 
intellectual curiosity, fundamental moral and religious values, and an 
atmosphere of care and respect. The school's mission sets goals which 
foster students' personal growth, empowers students as active learners, 
and encourages critical thinking and problem solving. Linkages with 
communities beyond Mercy help students develop an understanding of 
different cultures and an appreciation of global interdependence.
  In 1998, Mercy received reaccreditation by the Commission on 
Elementary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and 
Schools for its unique project on inclusive education in regular 
schools. Mercy's Educational Excellence Program: A Model for Inclusive 
Education identifies inclusive education as one that serves the 
physically and mentally challenged, empowers the talented and gifted 
student, and uses a multicultural perspective across the curriculum.
  Academic and non-academic services are revised as Mercy's student 
population grows and changes. The needs of Mercy's stakeholders have 
served as the catalysts for the Rainbow and anti-drug programs, prayer 
partners, inclusive life skills instruction, academic tutors, and 
family health seminars. The role of Mercy's community is to partner in 
the education of students, to create a forum for adult learning, and to 
raise responsible, socially concerned individuals.
  The Mercy Parent Teacher Organization coordinates parent volunteers 
to assist the school in the total education of the children. During the 
1997-98 school year, 96.5 percent of Mercy's families volunteered. 
Mercy provides parents with educational opportunities through in-house 
and outside seminars, guest speakers, health programs, print materials, 
and private consultants.
  As a former teacher, I wish to congratulate Our Lady of Mercy School 
for creating the right atmosphere for learning. I am proud of their 
well-trained staff, their supportive parents, and their excellent 
students. I wish them continued success in creating the excellence in 
education needed for tomorrow's schools.

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