[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 102 (Friday, June 22, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING MS. JILL CARPENTER NOAA TEACHER AT SEA

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                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 22, 2007

  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Ms. Jill 
Carpenter, an outstanding constituent and educator from the 10th 
Congressional District of Virginia, for her dedication to bringing real 
scientific research to the classroom.
  Ms. Carpenter, a fifth grade teacher at Hutchinson Farm Elementary in 
South Riding, VA, was chosen last summer by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's Teacher at Sea Program to participate in a 
ten-day research cruise on the Atlantic Ocean. From aboard the NOAA 
Ship DELEWARE II, Ms. Carpenter not only researched fisheries, but also 
interviewed scientists, maintained daily logs, and engaged in dialogue 
with her fellow teachers, students and the general public. She took 
part in the Teacher at Sea experience in order to enrich her curriculum 
and excite her students about the sciences.
  In her log, Ms. Carpenter wrote, ``It is exciting to see science 
experiments happening every day, with real people in a real-life 
context, instead of reading about it from a worksheet or having that 
intangible image in my mind of a mad scientist in a white lab coat 
stirring a beaker of something bubbling. Science is accessible to 
everybody! You don't have to be in a fancy laboratory or have the 
latest equipment. It can be done inside or out, on a boat or in your 
backyard. Science encompasses so many fields and is available to anyone 
with a curious mind. I am excited to share this realization with my 
students and make science more real to them. I am looking forward to 
returning home to my family, friends, and classroom and sharing my 
experience with them. This trip has been invaluable to me in so many 
ways. I have met with many amazing people, I have participated in 
recording ocean data, and I have seen how much thought, effort and 
talent goes into running a fisheries research vessel. I gained hands-on 
knowledge and experience.'' Ms. Carpenter was supported by a 
partnership between the Loudoun Education Foundation and the NOAA 
Teacher at Sea Program.
  I am proud to call attention to Ms. Carpenter's dedication. I 
congratulate Ms. Carpenter on her spirit of adventure, her willingness 
to try new things, and her ability to bring this experience back to the 
classroom. I also commend the Loudoun County School district and the 
Loudoun Education Foundation for supporting the efforts of this teacher 
to promote scientific education in the classroom.

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