[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 97 (Thursday, June 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S7067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE AWARD RECIPIENTS

 Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, today I honor the recipients 
of the West Virginia School of Excellence award for the 2008-2009 
academic school year. This is a prestigious award given to schools for 
providing rigorous curricula, innovative programs, and exhibiting an 
overall high standard of learning. Those receiving the award this year 
were Ben Franklin Career and Technical Center in Kanawha County; Poca 
Middle School in Putnam County; Eagle School Intermediate in Berkeley 
County; Davis Creek, Village of Barboursville, and Martha Elementary 
Schools all of Cabell County; Cottageville Elementary in Jackson 
County; and Stratton Elementary in Raleigh County. They are all 
incredibly impressive schools that are challenging their students. I 
would like to take a little time to highlight how each school is 
preparing their pupils for future success.
  Ben Franklin Career and Technical Center, located in Dunbar, centers 
its curriculum on the principle of preparing all students for the 21st 
century by training them to operate efficiently in a complex economy. 
It offers career preparation programs, short-term skill courses, and 
customized training for local businesses.
  Poca Middle School is based on the principles of allowing students to 
``master basic academic skills and to explore and identify their own 
interests and talents.'' It is a school that prides itself on offering 
students various opportunities to explore the arts and to actively 
pursue their interest by attending a wide range of classes and school 
events. It has allowed students to experience a more personal learning 
environment by implementing an online math program. The school's use of 
online learning is just the beginning of the many expanded learning 
programs that West Virginia schools will be implementing in the near 
future.
  Eagle School Intermediate, located in Martinsburg, is dedicated to 
``providing educational opportunities for all students to reach their 
highest academic potential.'' Eagle School Intermediate was one of the 
first schools in West Virginia to allow parents to track their 
student's progress via online grade checking. This is just another 
example of how West Virginia is expanding its boundaries towards 
providing the most in-depth academic technology to its students and 
their parents.
  Davis Creek Elementary School, located in Barboursville, is an 
extraordinary representation of the Mountain State's flourishing 
primary education programs. For the 2006-2007 school year, the Cabell 
County public school was declared a National Blue Ribbon School. Davis 
Creek served 169 students in grades K-5 and has also been named a West 
Virginia Exemplary School.
  Village of Barboursville Elementary School, located in Barboursville 
as well, is an institution that is focused on cohesive learning among 
students and faculty. It boasts a strikingly high parental approval 
rating. The school focuses its curriculum on providing students with 
the opportunity not only to learn inside the classroom, but also to 
develop proper social skills that can be taken and used to develop a 
stronger bond with the community.
  Martha Elementary School, also located in Barboursville, is an 
institution founded on cooperation between parents and students to 
create an environment conducive to learning. This 300-student rural 
school focuses on endowing students with the opportunity to follow 
their dreams. The dedicated faculty uses innovative programs to assist 
students on an individual basis, allowing for a more personalized 
educational experience. The school strives to create an atmosphere of 
support among family, the school, and the community.
  Cottageville Elementary, located in Cottageville, is dedicated to 
providing ``equity and excellence in education.'' The school bases its 
curriculum on the belief that all students should be held to a high 
standard and endowed with the resources necessary to receive an 
excellent education. Teachers and faculty strive to provide their 
students with the skills necessary to excel academically by creating a 
support system that includes the school, family, and the community.
  Stratton Elementary, located in Beckley, strives to afford all of its 
students the opportunity to learn at a pace that is the best match for 
each individual. Stratton offers many gifted programs and online 
learning portals that allow students to take more advanced courses and 
to have access to one-on-one help around the clock.
  Once again, I congratulate these eight schools for receiving the West 
Virginia School of Excellence award, a distinction each school 
undoubtedly deserves. I commend them on their impressive achievements 
and applaud all of the administrators, teachers, and students for the 
wonderful example they set for all West Virginians.

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