[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 79 (Friday, May 7, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING ANNIE ORSINI AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 7, 2021

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in honoring Annie Orsini, Assistant 
Principal at Westridge Elementary School and Jordan Creek Elementary 
School in West Des Moines, as Iowan of the Week.
  Assistant Principals across Iowa's Third Congressional District and 
our entire country play a critically important role in the overall 
success of the schools where they serve--working tirelessly to foster 
strong relationships between the school and the community, establish a 
positive and inclusive learning environment for students, make sure 
parents are informed and involved, effectively lead both instructional 
and support staff, monitor the day-to-day logistical operations of 
their educational facilities, and more. An Assistant Principal's plate 
is always full, always being added to, and often includes a plethora of 
'other duties as assigned' tasks to complete. Our schools, students, 
and communities all benefit from their dedication to making a positive 
impact on early education.
  In Annie's case, her efforts are doubled as she serves as Assistant 
Principal for two elementary schools. With roughly 1,500 students and 
families and approximately 125 instructional and support staff under 
her care, she has a big job to tackle every single week. Whether it's 
mentoring teachers, analyzing data to create impactful plans, 
addressing logistical and operational issues such as transportation and 
scheduling, working on extra- and co-curricular programs, or nurturing 
positive peer relationships between students, her days are filled with 
meeting the needs of others. She sets the vision, inspires others, 
maximizes available resources, and constantly innovates in order to 
create an optimal learning environment for students and staff.
  Annie is an educator who truly believes not only in the power of 
teaching and empowering kids to learn, but also in the very real impact 
effective teaching has on the system as a whole. Her efforts extend 
beyond improving more traditional classroom instruction of subjects 
like math, English, and history to include social emotional learning 
and addressing mental health. She's working with staff on efforts that 
help kids get organized, show empathy, make decisions, see other 
people's perspective, and more. In being more intentional about 
nurturing both the head and the heart, Annie is creating environments 
in which students can feel safe, special, and develop their unique 
gifts before striking out into the world.
  Throughout the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed incredible 
burdens on many areas of our society, and few places have been as 
directly challenged as our schools. Originally planned for 
implementation over three years, Annie and her team had to roll out a 
scaled-up online learning program in only six months. They had to 
figure out how to get kids to school safely and keep them safe while 
they were in the classroom, and neither challenge came with a playbook. 
Time and again, Assistant Principals like Annie have been called upon 
to work even harder than usual to best support students, educators, 
support staff, families, and their communities as everyone navigates 
the global health crisis.
  For that reason amongst others, I am proud to support a House 
Resolution calling for April 5th-9th to be recognized as National 
Assistant Principals Week. These folks deserve our thanks and this 
opportunity for all Americans to reflect on their meaningful 
contributions to our communities.
  For nearly two decades, Annie Orsini has dedicated herself to 
furthering the growth and achievement of young students, teachers, and 
local schools. Her passion is clear and inspiring. Each day she makes a 
difference, and our future is brighter because of her efforts. I am 
proud to recognize her as our Iowan of the Week.

                          ____________________