[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 115 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE PHI DELTA KAPPA INTERNATIONAL OREGON STATE TEACHER OF 
                                THE YEAR

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                          HON. DARLENE HOOLEY

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 22, 2004

  Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege today 
to honor an outstanding educator from my district who was recently 
selected as Oregon's State Teacher of the Year by Phi Delta Kappa 
International.
  Meg Greiner is a physical education teacher at Independence 
Elementary School in Independence, Oregon. Ms. Greiner has been a 
pioneer in innovative physical education programs that get students 
interested in physical activity by making them fun. Every morning, all 
students and staff members at Independence Elementary go to the gym to 
participate in Together Everyone Achieves More Time, or TEAM. Greiner 
leads a variety of movement exercises and dances that feature team-
building activities and music. Through these daily sessions that 
involve exciting and novel activities, students have learned more than 
50 dances and five sign language songs.
  Greiner's innovative approach during TEAM Time as well as during 
regular PE classes creates an inviting environment in which students 
feel safe enough to participate and take risks, which fosters interest 
in a lifetime of physical activity. But these classes do much more than 
teaching children about being physically active. In addition to 
learning new physical skills and activities, students learn positive 
behavior and character traits such as teamwork, responsibility, 
respect, and problem-solving.
  Ms. Greiner's excellent work and the support she has received from 
school officials and the community has shown that physical education 
can be a vital part of the educational curriculum that helps students 
in their physical as well as their social, mental, and academic 
development. Schools across the country could benefit by modeling the 
approach Independence Elementary has implemented with Ms. Greiner's 
leadership. As a former teacher, I am excited to see Ms. Greiner 
receive the recognition she deserves.




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