[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 63 (Friday, May 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE CAREER OF LINDA N. CLARK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2000

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Mrs. Linda Clark, 
principal of Flint Hill Elementary School in Vienna, Virginia. She has 
been the principal of Flint Hill Elementary for the past 25 years and 
will be retiring this week. From her humble start as a Third Grade 
teacher in Illinois to her being named the principal of Flint Hill 
Elementary in 1975, she has exemplified all that is good about the 
educational profession.
  As principal of Flint Hill Elementary, Linda demonstrated and 
encouraged creativity and innovation in the classroom. She continually 
encouraged the staff, students and parents to stretch their talents and 
strengths and attempt new goals and endeavors, while always respecting 
the personality, teaching, and learning styles of staff, students, and 
parents.
  Linda has always tried to foster cooperation between her school and 
her students' community. She held monthly parent coffees in various 
Flint Hill neighborhoods, and she created ``Curriculum Nights'' for 
various grade levels to share with parents. Linda also created 
``Highlights,'' a quarterly newsletter sent to all Flint Hill 
Elementary School families, which provides information on grade level 
curriculum activities for the upcoming school quarter. While 
strengthening ties between the school and the community, Linda also was 
an integral part of maintaining continuing dialogue between the faculty 
and staff in Flint Hill Elementary. Linda met regularly with staff 
members to discuss their professional growth and concerns. She always 
participated in morning and afternoon Flint Hill news programs, and she 
enjoyed meeting with individual and groups of students to discuss 
various issues, all-the-while encouraging feedback from students and 
staff regarding school programs and procedures.
  While making Flint Hill Elementary School a friendlier place to 
learn, Linda took steps to keep herself, her staff, and faculty abreast 
of new developments in the field of education. To do this, she 
solicited feedback from many areas of expertise in formulating the 
school's curriculum. She shared reading material with the staff dealing 
with educational issues in particular child development: learning 
styles and brain development. Linda and Flint Elementary are also the 
proud hosts of the Area III Technology Expo, where Fairfax County 
School staff and students share and learn about the latest developments 
in the fields of computer and technological instruction related to POS 
and SOL objectives. I have had the opportunity to attend this expo on 
several occasions and can attest to its depth and substance.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I wish to thank Principal Clark for all she 
has done for Flint Hill Elementary School over the past 25 years. She 
has been a role model for her students and colleagues, and she 
exemplifies the ideal of being a ``lifelong learner.'' Her obvious 
curiosity about the world, its cultures, its people and her love of 
learning and sharing of knowledge are contagious. I know my colleagues 
join me in honoring Linda for her 25 years of dedicated service to 
educating our children and improving our community.

                          ____________________