[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 158 (Tuesday, November 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE JAMES G. SHAWGER SCHOOL NO. 4

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BILL PASCRELL, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 2003

  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call your attention to the 
James G. Shawger School No. 4 in Belleville, New Jersey, which 
celebrated its centennial on Sunday, November 2, 2003.
  Over the past one hundred years, the James G. Shawger School has 
grown from a quaint four room school house into a modern twenty-five 
room school with well over 300 students. Built on the tradition of 
camaraderie, hard work, and dedication to quality education, the 
Shawger School has become a paradigm of learning, promoting personal 
integrity, excellence, and service in its students. It is thus only 
fitting that the James G. Shawger School No. 4 be honored, in this, the 
permanent Record of the greatest freely elected body on earth.
  Founded in 1903 in the Silver Lake District of Belleville, the James 
G. Shawger School was not unlike other turn-of-the-century schools. 
Brothers, sisters, and cousins attended classes that intermingled all 
of its students regardless of age and educational background. While at 
school, students were encouraged to better themselves through strict 
discipline and a commitment to learning the three R's (Reading, 
Writing, and Arithmetic). Early teachers and principals who set out 
with the goal of attaining the ``betterment of all concerned,'' 
succeeded in creating a spirited school community of which all could be 
proud.
  The emphasis that these ``pioneer'' teachers placed on fostering the 
academic, moral and social education of Belleville's young men and 
women was closely paralleled by the spirit of solidarity that permeated 
the early community in Belleville as a whole. This spirit was evident 
in the aftermath of the tragic fire that swept through the four-room 
school in the early 1900s. In the days following the fire, neighborhood 
fathers worked side by side with carpenters, volunteering their time to 
rebuild and renovate the school.
  Over the years, parents gradually increased their role in the school 
community. The 1950's and 1960's saw parents begin to assume an 
integral role in their children's education with the formation of the 
Parent-Teacher Association and, later, the Home and School Association. 
Members of these organizations dedicated themselves to staying abreast 
of new legislation affecting education, preparing by-laws and 
coordinating activities for the students and their families. By the 
1970's and 1980's, these activities broadened to encompass assembly 
programs, family events, and scholarship programs. The hard work, 
dedication, and countless fundraising activities on the part of the 
students and their parents through these organizations have made the 
Shawger School a model of excellence among its surrounding communities.
  Mr. Speaker, it has often been said that the true goals of education 
should be to build character and intelligence. The dedicated teachers 
and principals of the James G. Shawger School who have left an 
indelible mark on the lives of thousands of Belleville's young men and 
women are perhaps the greatest testimony to this. Their commitment to 
inspiring leadership, education, and service in the children of 
Belleville has long been a beacon of excellence--one that will shine 
well into the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, the residents of the 
Township of Belleville, and me in paying tribute to the James G. 
Shawger School as it celebrates one hundred years devoted to molding 
the children of Belleville, New Jersey, into the leaders of tomorrow.

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