[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 147 (Wednesday, October 16, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1522-E1523]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           HONORING VIRGINIA GALLUP LARSEN, M. ED., M.A./CAGS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 16, 2013

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the 
outstanding contributions made by Virginia Gallup Larsen, M. Ed., M.A./
CAGS in improving the lives of children and families across the City of 
Alexandria and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  Ms. Larsen is a 17-year resident of Arlington and a Nationally 
Certified School Psychologist

[[Page E1523]]

with 20 years of experience working with diverse populations in the 
Washington, DC, metropolitan region. She was recently named 2013 
Virginia School Psychologist of the Year by the National Association of 
School Psychologists. Ms. Larsen is the first school psychologist from 
the City of Alexandria, where she is in her 13th year with Alexandria 
City Public Schools.
  Ms. Larsen's wide area of expertise allows her to offer a host of 
comprehensive services to a diverse student population. Areas of 
expertise include: conducting psychological and educational 
evaluations, functional behavior assessments, pre-referral intervention 
consultations, and treatment assessments. She is deeply admired by her 
colleagues and the families she works with for her dedication and 
expertise.
  After personally observing persistent problems caused by bullying, 
Ms. Larsen responded by securing a grant to implement the Olweus 
Bullying Prevention Program. She launched the program in a single 
school before advocating for its expansion to serve all Alexandria's 
students. She is now a bullying and violence prevention consultant 
across the Alexandria school system, providing dozens of free bullying 
prevention workshops.
  Ms. Larsen, in conjunction with physical education teacher Kathy 
Chmura, worked to establish the Run for Fun program at James K. Polk 
Elementary School to address the problem of childhood obesity. The 
program creates an enjoyable physical activity that encourages children 
to establish healthy lifestyles, set personal goals, increase stamina, 
and form friendships outside of school.
  Ms. Larsen directed and managed the Alexandria City division of the 
National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area research project, where 
she facilitated the treatment component of an intensive outpatient 
treatment program. She provided therapy to clients and served as a 
program link to more and less restrictive services.
  I am deeply proud of the lasting contributions made by Virginia 
Gallup Larsen, along with the other hard-working and dedicated 
Alexandria City Public Schools employees. She is representative of what 
those working in this under recognized, yet truly essential profession, 
should strive to attain.

                          ____________________