[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 107 (Tuesday, September 5, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S8958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SAINT ANTHONY MIDDLE SCHOOL, SAINT ANTHONY VILLAGE, MINNESOTA

 Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I honor Saint Anthony Middle 
School, in Saint Anthony Village, MN, which recently earned an Award 
for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative 
achievements in educating children.
  Saint Anthony Middle School is truly a model of educational success. 
The Saint Anthony and New Brighton communities, which are served by the 
middle school, place a high value on quality education for every 
student. The teachers and students have taken the initiative to 
establish an academic enrichment program, matching students and 
teachers with similar interests to participate in enrichment learning 
activities.
  Saint Anthony Middle School has also developed curricula and teaching 
techniques to meet the needs of struggling learners as well as advanced 
students. Children who need greater support are given additional study 
time and assistance from paraprofessionals and high school tutors. 
Advanced students participate in special courses designed to move at a 
faster pace. The Connections Course, developed by the social studies 
teachers and language arts teachers, offers an advanced-level course 
integrating both subjects.
  Recognizing that positive connections with middle school students are 
essential, teachers and staff work constantly to improve the 
educational experience. Teachers, who often go to great lengths to be 
sure that all students are connecting with the curriculum, helped the 
eighth-graders create a Colonial Day, on which community members 
facilitate workshops to help students to understand firsthand what it 
was like to live during colonial times. Among other things, students 
created cornhusk dolls, wove baskets, dressed in colonial attire, and 
ignited a fire using stones. The school is also exploring the 
possibility of adding an International Baccalaureate Program to the 
curriculum.
  The success of Saint Anthony Middle School is reflected in student 
enrollment numbers: 42 percent of the students come to the school, 
through open enrollment, from neighboring districts.
  In 2005, St. Anthony Middle School received a three-star rating in 
math and a four-star rating in reading from the Minnesota Department of 
Education.
  Much of the credit for Saint Anthony Middle School's success belongs 
to its principal, Shirley Gregoire, and the dedicated teachers and 
staff. The students and staff at Saint Anthony Middle School understand 
that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving 
academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where 
students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success 
throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Saint 
Anthony Middle School should be very proud of their accomplishments.
  I congratulate Saint Anthony Middle School in Saint Anthony Village 
for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its 
exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

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