[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 76 (Tuesday, May 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1088]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATIONS TO BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL RECIPIENT PRINCESS VICTORIA 
                      KA'IULANI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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                         HON. NEIL ABERCROMBIE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 1999

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Princess 
Victoria Ka'uilani Elementary School, which has earned the prestigious 
Blue Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
  The Blue Ribbon Schools Program identifies and gives national 
recognition to a diverse group of public and private schools that have 
been judged particularly effective in meeting local, state, and 
national goals. In being selected, Princess Ka'iulani Elementary School 
displayed the qualities of excellence that are necessary to prepare our 
young people for the challenges of the next century. The school 
demonstrates its strong leadership by providing high quality teaching, 
instilling policies and practices that ensure a safe environment 
conducive to learning, initiating strong parental and community 
involvement, and helping all students achieve to high standards.
  The awarding of Princess Victoria Ka'iulani Elementary School as a 
Blue Ribbon School is made even more special by the fact that this year 
marks the school's centennial anniversary. The school opened its doors 
on April 22, 1899 and was named for the beautiful Princess Victoria 
Ka'iulani. The name Ka'iulani means ``Child from Heaven.'' The students 
come from diverse cultures and various social backgrounds in the 
Kalihi-Palama neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. And while the 
neighborhood is sometimes known for gangs and drug dealing, the school 
has a warm and friendly environment. The school definitely exudes the 
spirit of ``aloha'' and ``ohana'' (family). This nurturing atmosphere 
helps students to believe in themselves and offers an opportunity to 
learn and move forward.
  There are a variety of factors that contribute to the school's 
success. For example, at the beginning of each year, parents are given 
a student ready reference guide, a school profile, and a syllabus of 
the school's curriculum and activities. To further initiate parental 
involvement, a monthly parent bulletin is jointly authored by Title I, 
Parent-Community Networking Centers (PCNC), Primary School Adjustment 
Project (PSAP) and the Principal. Community involvement is also well 
established. Groups such as The Rotary Club of Metropolitan Honolulu, 
the USS Louisville, 516th Signal Brigade from the Fort Shafter Army 
Installation and the USS Chicago have contributed to the school's 
various campus beautification projects, providing access to the 
Internet and even assisting in classes and chaperoning field trips. 
Also, English Second Language Learners (ESLL) provides support to 101 
students whose native language range from Vietnamese, Ilocano, 
Cantonese, Samoan, Tagalog, Visayan, Lao, Korean, Mandarin, Tongan, 
Micronesian and Fijian. In fact, students have continued to improve in 
Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) scores and due to a strong focus on 
literacy, reading levels have significantly increased over the past few 
years.
  Again, I wish to commend and congratulate the students, teachers, 
parents, administration, and staff of Princess Victoria Ka'iulani 
Elementary School for its strong efforts and proud achievement in 
receiving the Blue Ribbon Schools Award.

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