[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 151 (Thursday, November 18, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO AMANDA TERHARK

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                            HON. TOM LATHAM-

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 18, 2010

  Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Amanda Terhark 
of Iowa Falls, Iowa, as the recipient of the Art Educators of Iowa 
(AEI), 2010 Outstanding Middle School Art Educator award for her 
dedication to her students and art. She accepted the award on October 
2, 2010, at the AEI conference in Sioux City, Iowa.
  Amanda splits her time as an art teacher at Riverbend Middle School 
and Rock Run Elementary School and has been teaching art for seven 
years. This is her first teaching position and the first time she is 
getting recognized for her work.
  When Amanda found out she was nominated for the award last summer, 
she asked Riverbend Middle School's principal Jeff Burchfield to write 
a letter of recommendation. In his letter, Mr. Burchfield praised her 
work both in the classroom and the community. He wrote: ``She has high 
expectations for student performance and behavior, yet her teaching 
style is one of mutual respect and admiration . . . [Amanda] genuinely 
cares for the students in her classroom, and this is evident in the way 
that she interacts with them and builds connections with them.''
  Amanda has always put her students first. She was instrumental in 
starting an art club at Riverbend Middle School five years ago and in 
2008, for her final project for her master's degree, Amanda involved 
her students by including some of their artwork in her exhibit.
  Amanda Terhark is an incredible teacher, and her dedication to her 
profession and to her students should make every Iowan proud. It's an 
honor to represent her and the people of the Iowa Falls Community 
School District in the United States Congress, and I know that my 
colleagues in the House join me in congratulating Amanda on this well-
deserved award and thanking her for her dedicated service to her 
community and America's youth.

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