[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 95 (Thursday, June 1, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATIONAL CAREER AND SERVICE OF AMY GRANDE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 1, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to a beloved 
teacher, principal, friend, and community member who has dedicated a 
half-century to Michigan's public schools and their students. As Amy 
Grande of Rochester Hills prepares to step down after 50 years at 
University Hills Elementary School in the Rochester Community Schools 
district, I am filled with gratitude for the thousands of lives she has 
helped guide and the glowing example she has set of what it means to 
live a life of service.
  It was 1973 and before the ink had dried on her degree in elementary 
education from Michigan State University, Amy arrived at University 
Hills Elementary to begin her career as a teacher, and was placed in a 
first grade classroom. From that day on, Amy's colleagues and 
supervisors say she anchored her classroom in respect, trust, love, and 
positivity, traits that would only grow over her long and fruitful 
career. Over the course of the next 25 years, Amy was called on to 
teach every grade from first through sixth, and no matter the grade 
level or the subject, she reflected what she expected: kindness and 
good citizenship.
  In 1998, Amy transitioned to a learning consultant role and, while 
she left her beloved classroom, her students remained at the heart of 
her work and decisions. This remained the case when she was appointed 
principal of the University Hills in 2000, and has continued throughout 
her nearly quarter-century tenure in that position. Valuing positive 
relationships and collaboration above all, Amy is famous for knowing 
not just the names of the students in her building but their stories, 
and for turning her staff meetings into ``celebration meetings.'' On 
any given day, she is seen where it matters the most: wherever her 
students are. That meant in the hallways, classrooms, playground, and 
even at events outside the school. Her school has been, and will always 
be, an extension of her family and herself.
  Amy earned many accolades in her long career, including Principal of 
the Year for Region 7 Oakland County from the Michigan Elementary and 
Middle School Principals Association in 2016. But I have no doubt the 
awards she treasures most are the intangibles: the love of learning she 
has inspired in so many, the careers she has nurtured and shaped, and 
the indelible mark she has left on the hearts and minds of the entire 
entire University Hills Elementary School community.
  For 50 years, Amy Grande lived her passion for education every single 
day, an extraordinary gift that University Hills Elementary and the 
Rochester Community Schools district were so fortunate to receive. As 
Amy now prepares to begin a new chapter in retirement, my hope is that 
she feels all the love and care that she has poured into others 
returned to her. I wish her many relaxing days doing her favorite 
things: spending time with her family, tending to her garden, 
volunteering in the community, and leisurely reading.
  On behalf of a grateful community, and the thousands of lives she 
touched, I am honored to reflect on the extraordinary service and 
leadership of Amy Grande, a teacher for the ages.

                          ____________________