[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 193 (Thursday, December 15, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8676-S8677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                    RECOGNIZING ORONO MIDDLE SCHOOL

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I wish to offer my heartfelt 
and warm congratulations to Orono Middle School in my State of Maine on 
being named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of 
Education earlier this year on September 14, especially as the school 
community gathers to celebrate this milestone next week.
  Since the inception of the National Blue Ribbon School Program in 
1982, the U.S. Department of Education has undergone a rigorous, 
selective process of identifying those exceptional schools nationwide 
where students attain and maintain high academic goals. Needless to 
say, the bestowal of this well-earned, prestigious award speaks volumes 
about Orono Middle School's exemplary student accomplishments--and is 
an accolade in which all RSU 26 school board members, administrators, 
faculty, staff, and students--not to mention our entire State--can 
certainly take enormous pride.
  This distinguished recognition also affords Orono Middle School with 
an ideal platform to share its outstanding teaching models and 
approaches under the vision of Principal Robert Lucy with other 
schools--an opportunity which aligns with the larger effort of the 
Department of Education to facilitate the robust exchange of the best 
school leadership and teaching practices.
  Just as the Bangor region, where Orono is located, is the gateway to 
the natural wonders of the North Maine Woods and Acadia National Park, 
it is also a gateway to excellence in education. That is certainly the 
case at the university level at the University of Maine, my alma mater, 
as well as at the primary school level at Orono Middle School, where 
challenging and cultivating young minds is paramount; curiosity is 
prized; character is rewarded; enthusiasm is contagious; values are 
imparted; and an exuberant love of learning is palpable, even at times 
audible, and always ever-present.
  Principal Lucy aptly characterized this spirit and energy when he 
wrote that ``a visitor walking the halls hears parents conversing with 
teachers and students, actors exchanging lines, artists collaborating 
on projects, mathematicians solving team challenges, and coaches 
encouraging athletes. The sounds of our community make it clear that 
Orono Middle School thrives, largely because our students are connected 
to our school.'' And, thrive, it has, as Orono Middle School is 
exemplifying Maine's motto, ``Dirigo'' or ``I Lead'' and in doing so, 
ensuring that the seeds of hope for the next generation are firmly 
planted and taking root.
  Orono Middle School is proof positive that our State's hallmark work 
ethic and can-do spirit are alive and well. Orono Middle School is a 
top-performing institution on State-required assessments, which 
teachers use to customize and improve instruction. Eighty percent of 
Orono Middle School's faculty have advanced degrees

[[Page S8677]]

and its award-winning roster of teachers place a premium on 
professional development. The school goes the extra mile to ensure that 
100 percent of the student body participates in co-curricular 
activities and that the pervading climate is one of trust, purpose, and 
dignity. This focus also helps create an atmosphere where consensus and 
collaboration are the order of the day and where parents are actively 
engaged in the learning process of their children.
  I cannot underscore enough just how instrumental schools like Orono 
Middle School are to the overall progress of our tremendous State of 
Maine and indeed in brightening the horizons of this great land we 
love. What American and Maine political icon, U.S. Senator Margaret 
Chase Smith, once expressed in words Orono Middle School has 
demonstrated in action; namely, that ``education is not a means to life 
but education is life and must not be ignored.''
  Orono Middle School has my very best wishes on receiving the National 
Blue Ribbon School designation this year which could not be more well-
deserved.

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