[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 124 (Thursday, September 19, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING MR. JAMES HOLIFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JACKIE WALORSKI

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2013

  Mrs. WALORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and 
congratulate Mr. James Holifield of New Carlisle, Indiana, who has been 
named Indiana's Middle School Principal of the Year by the Indiana 
Association of School Principals. This well-deserved honor reaffirms 
Mr. Holifield's exceptional work in the field of education.
   Mr. Holifield has served as principal at New Prairie Middle School 
since 2002. Since that time, he has spearheaded the creation of the 
Alternative to Suspension/Expulsion (ATSE) Program. This innovative 
program requires students to complete daily physical activity and 
community service projects and provides students with one-on-one 
tutoring and counseling services in lieu of suspension or expulsion. 
This unique approach to discipline has resulted in a decrease in 
expulsions and a lower rate of recidivism.
   In addition, Mr. Holifield's passion for intercultural communication 
led him to create a Mandarin language program at New Prairie Middle 
School. This program resulted in a partnership with ``sister schools'' 
in Liaoning Province, China that includes faculty and student exchange 
visits and regular Chinese guest teachers at New Prairie Middle School. 
Mr. Holifield's innovative program has provided many students with 
marketable skills that can be used in our ever-evolving global economy. 
These two achievements are only a sampling of Mr. Holifield's 
contributions to New Prairie Middle School.
   Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. James Holifield 
for his exemplary work and impressive accomplishments in the field of 
education. Thanks to educators like Mr. Holifield who take the time to 
invest in their students, our children face a brighter future filled 
with greater opportunity. Mr. Holifield's work serves as an example not 
only to his colleagues but to all Hoosiers, and the Second District of 
Indiana is grateful for his service.

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