[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 49 (Friday, April 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING KELLY ARAMAKI, 2013 WASHINGTON STATE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL 
                              OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 12, 2013

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Kelly 
Aramaki, who has been recognized as the 2013 Washington State 
Elementary Principal of the Year.
  Mr. Aramaki has been principal at Beacon Hill Elementary School in 
Seattle since 2011. He presides over a Title 1 language-immersion 
international school that has more than 86 percent students of color 
and where more than 32 percent speak English as their second language. 
More than two-thirds of the students are eligible for free or reduced 
lunch programs. Many families are new immigrants to the United States, 
coming from such countries as Vietnam, China, Laos, Mexico, Guatemala, 
and Somalia.
  Kelly is highly praised for his dedication to instructional 
leadership. He clears his calendar for instructional work first. He 
prioritizes walk-throughs, observations, teacher conferences, and 
professional development meetings with staff.
  Mr. Aramaki, a Bellevue native, earned and a Bachelor of Science 
degree in zoology from the University of Washington and a Master of 
Teaching degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University in New 
York City. He received his principal credentials through the University 
of Washington's Danforth Educational Leadership program.
  Mr. Aramaki began his career as a teacher between 1999 and 2002 at 
Newport Heights Elementary School in Bellevue. He then became principal 
at Maywood Hill Elementary School in Bothell, where he served between 
2003 and 2007. In 2007, he took the principalship at John Stanford 
International School in Seattle, leaving in 2011 to join Beacon Hill 
Elementary School.
  In 2010 he earned the prestigious Milken Family Foundation Award. The 
Milken Educator Awards were created by education reform leader Lowell 
Milken to celebrate, elevate, and activate excellence in the teaching 
profession.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize the work Mr. 
Aramaki has done for education in the Pacific Northwest. Mr. Aramaki 
will be honored this fall in Washington DC as part of the National 
Distinguished Principal of the Year program.

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