[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO ANDREW JACKSON LANGUAGE ACADEMY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight and 
pay tribute to one of Chicago's most effective public schools, the 
Andrew Jackson Language Academy.
  Andrew Jackson was opened in 1894 to serve children from the crowded 
tenement community surrounding the Polk Street station, a port of entry 
for immigrants. That very same year, one of the first public school 
kindergartens was established in Chicago. Since 1981, this school has 
offered foreign language instruction to its students.
  In 1988, Andrew Jackson Language Academy moved into a new, up-to-date 
facility. The building is equipped with science and computer labs, a 
library, media center, and a large outside area for play and gardening 
activities.
  Today 550 students from diverse racial, ethnic, and religious 
backgrounds attend the school. Students at Jackson receive extensive 
instruction in Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. The 
curriculum not only emphasizes the skill of understanding and using 
these languages, but also introduces students to the geography, 
history, and tradition of other cultures. As a result, students are 
more adequately prepared for the international marketplace and for 
success in the 21st century.
  The Andrew Jackson Language Academy is a well-organized, safe, and 
orderly school with an excellent student code of conduct, and the dress 
code has been developed to promote a suitable learning environment. It 
has a wealth of school spirit, which is promoted through the Merit 
Club, family reading night, Project Backpack for the Homeless, musical 
performances, student ambassadors, Big Sisters and Big Brothers, a 
Chinese painting workshop, and the Weigi workshop. French and Italian 
shops are ongoing. Japanese students are learning to work in class, and 
Spanish students from kindergarten through eighth grade are working 
hard on building their Spanish skills.
  The Dads Club at Jackson is very active and sponsors a number of 
family events such as the annual basketball fundraiser, family skate 
night, the daddy-daughter dance, and a number of other ways for dads to 
be involved.
  The Andrew Jackson Language Academy has a very strong and actively 
engaged local school council. Its chairperson is Ms. Angela Bryant; 
principal, Ms. Marilou Rebolledo; secretary, Ms. Margaret Kempster; 
members, Mr. Kevin Lopez, Ms. Mary Clare Maxwell, Ms. Tara Roden, Mr. 
Jeff Sadoff, Mr. Luis Oviedo, and Mr. Stephen Smith.
  The parents council at Jackson Language Academy is actively engaged 
and involved, led by Heather Alvarez, president; vice president, Rubi 
Alvarez; recording secretary, Emerlie Ilarde; Virgil Nita; and 
treasurer, Pamela Alfaro.
  I commend and congratulate all of those who work to make and keep the 
Andrew Jackson Language Academy the great Chicago public school that it 
is.
  Someone--perhaps a philosopher--once said: It takes great souls to 
make great schools. We thank all of those who have been involved in 
making the Andrew Jackson Language Academy the great school that it is. 
It takes great souls to make great schools.

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