[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 166 (Friday, October 5, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S6629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING FREEDOM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

 Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I want to congratulate the 
students, faculty, and parents of Freedom Elementary School, located in 
West Fargo, ND, on being awarded the 2018 National Blue Ribbon School 
Award.
  Founded in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes 
public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students 
perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being 
made in students' academic achievement. A National Blue Ribbon Schools 
flag overhead has become a mark of excellence in education recognized 
by everyone from parents to policymakers in thousands of communities. 
Since the program's founding, the U.S. Department of Education has 
bestowed this coveted award to more than 8,500 of America's best 
schools.
  Freedom Elementary School serves nearly 495 students and was one of 3 
schools in North Dakota to receive the honor of Exemplary High 
Performing School in 2018. Receiving recognition as a National Blue 
Ribbon School signifies the hard work and dedication of the educators, 
students, and parents involved, and I have no doubt the students at 
Freedom Elementary are on a path to success. The school's theme is 
RICK, which stands for respect, inclusion, compassion, and kindness, 
which helps ensure all students have the best possible learning 
environment and treat each other with dignity. They have been 
successful in developing caring, thoughtful, and respectful students 
through promoting the RICK philosophy and by incentivizing good 
behavior and promoting togetherness with various awards and 
competitions.
  The West Fargo Public Schools mission statement reads, ``Educating 
today's learners for tomorrow's world.'' This mission embodies all that 
Freedom Elementary is working to accomplish by providing a healthy and 
respectful learning environment that leads to success. I wish the very 
best to the community of West Fargo and congratulations to all engaged 
at Freedom Elementary for achieving this high honor. Thank you for your 
commitment to our children and leaders of tomorrow.

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