[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2157]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO MRS. NANCY ROBERTS GARRITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Nancy Roberts 
Garrity, a teacher at St. John Fisher School and recipient of the 
National Catholic Educational Association's Distinguished Teacher 
Award. Mrs. Garrity will receive her award at the NCEA annual 
conference on April 10, 2007. She was selected out of a pool of more 
than 100,000 nominees.
  The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), the largest 
professional association in the world, offers guidance and educational 
services to its 200,000 members. During the Fall of each year, every 
member school is invited to nominate one teacher for the Distinguished 
Teacher Award. This award was established in honor of Sister Miriam 
Joseph Farrell, who served as executive secretary of the NCEA's 
Department of Elementary Schools. The NCEA divides the country into 12 
geographic regions, with one teacher in each region receiving this 
award.
  St. John Fisher School is located in Chicago's West Beverly 
neighborhood. This parochial school provides educational opportunities 
for preschool through eighth grade students, where teachers serve as 
influential figures in developing students' lives.
  Mrs. Garrity is guided by the belief that each student uniquely 
contributes to her classroom. She utilizes creative teaching methods in 
order to cater to individual educational needs. For example, when 
teaching her class about A Christmas Carol, she plays the part of Jacob 
Marley's ghost, complete with chains and a ghostly voice. During the 
poetry section of her reading class she dresses up as a hippie. Mrs. 
Garrity's creative methods of teaching allow her students to reach 
their full potential.
  Mrs. Garrity has been a teacher at St. John Fisher School since 1990. 
The Catholic educational system has given her the ability to influence 
her student's lives with her passion for teaching, which is evident in 
her students' drive to succeed.
  It is my honor to recognize Mrs. Nancy Roberts Garrity as a recipient 
of the Distinguished Teacher Award. Teachers, like Mrs. Garrity, are 
key to our children's futures.




                          ____________________