[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S5827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       IN HONOR OF ALFREDO NUNEZ

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
celebrate the life and work of a dedicated educator. This month, 
Alfredo Nunez will retire as principal of the Agassiz Elementary School 
of Jamaica Plain, MA, and as he prepares to do so I am proud to join 
with his colleagues, friends, and family in celebrating more than 30 
years of service to Boston Public Schools.
  Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Nunez immigrated to the United States in 
1963. He attended high school in Jersey City, NJ, and subsequently 
moved to New Brunswick, NJ, where he graduated from Rutgers University.
  Following graduation, he moved to Boston where he became a U.S. 
citizen and obtained his master's degree from Boston University in 
bilingual education. Nunez then became a fifth grade teacher at the 
Agassiz, where he has worked ever since. One of the largest elementary 
schools in Boston, with over 800 students and 100-plus faculty and 
staff members, the Agassiz is a diverse and dynamic school with a large 
bilingual student population. Nunez relished the opportunity to not 
only teach but also to learn from the thousands of students, parents, 
and teachers he has worked with over the years.
  During his tenure as principal, the Agassiz has garnered numerous 
awards and accolades for its drive to achieve excellence in education. 
Nunez has encouraged partnerships with institutes of higher education 
such as the University of Massachusetts and Harvard University, as well 
as art and cultural institutions like the Boston Ballet, to try to 
expand his students' horizons. He has also worked to grow parent 
participation within the school to foster a more community oriented 
approach to learning.
  I am proud to pay tribute to the service of Alfredo Nunez to the 
Agassiz and to the children of Boston. I wish Alfredo the very best as 
he looks back on so many achievements and contributions to the 
community and begins this new chapter in life.

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