[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 180 (Monday, November 6, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7012]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING CONNORS-EMERSON SCHOOL

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am delighted to commend Connors-Emerson 
School in Bar Harbor, ME, on being named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon 
School of Excellence. Serving students from kindergarten through the 
eighth grade, this outstanding school is one of only 342 schools across 
the country to receive Blue Ribbon recognition from the U.S. Department 
of Education.
  Created in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and 
private schools that are either academically superior in their States 
or that demonstrate significant gains in student achievement. The 
schools singled out for this national recognition are models of high 
educational standards and accountability.
  The Blue Ribbon designation continues a tradition of quality 
education at Connors-Emerson. Since first being named a Blue Ribbon 
School in 2004, educators and staff have deepened and expanded 
standards-based teaching and learning. More than half of the faculty 
have advanced degrees or certification as master level teachers. A 
strong commitment to professional development ensures that teachers and 
staff, as well as students, are lifelong learners.
  Bar Harbor is the gateway to Acadia National Park, and the school has 
a strong ethic of environmental responsibility. Currently, the seventh 
grade students at Connors-Emerson are working on an expeditionary 
learning unit which is exploring the effects of climate change on 
Acadia and all of Mount Desert Island.
  Bar Harbor also is home to the MDI Biological Laboratory and to the 
Jackson Laboratory, world-renowned research institutions. Connors-
Emerson excels in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
education. The math team and robotics team have received honors at both 
the State and national levels, and the school has been awarded several 
grants to advance STEM education.
  Fully 98 percent of students in grades five through eight participate 
in afterschool activities. From the State champion jazz band and drama 
to Destination Imagination and the Outdoors Club, students are 
encouraged to pursue their interests.
  As a school community, Connors-Emerson is dedicated to the values of 
fairness, compassion, honesty, responsibility, respect, and courtesy 
that help to create a positive, diverse, safe, and caring learning 
environment.
  This Blue Ribbon Award is a tribute not only to the students but also 
to the administrators, teachers, staff, and parents of Connors-Emerson 
School. Together, they are succeeding in their mission to generate 
excitement and momentum for learning. They are making a difference in 
the lives of their students, helping them reach their full potential as 
independent, responsible learners and citizens. I congratulate the 
entire Bar Harbor community for this well-deserved recognition.

                          ____________________