[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15104]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

            HONORING THE ECOLE CLASSIQUE ACADEMIC GAMES TEAM

 Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the Ecole 
Classique Academic Games team from Metairie, Louisiana, which is one of 
the most successful Academic Games teams in America.
  For the past seven years, Ecole Classique has competed in the 
National Academic Games in Eatonton, Georgia. Over these years, the 
team has won hundreds of first, second and third place honors, more 
than 100 national titles, and seven sweepstakes championships as the 
finest team in the country. They have also won national titles in all 
four divisions, something no other school in the country has ever 
achieved.
  The Ecole Classique team undergoes an intense year of preparation and 
hard work to prepare for the Academic Games. At the tournament they 
divide into fuor divisions and use creative problem solving skills and 
strategies to compete against other students from across America in the 
areas of Social Studies, Language Skills, Mathematics and Logic.
  Once again, their hard work has paid off. At this year's competition, 
the Ecole Classique students won more than 100 trophies, 16 national 
championships and two sweepstakes titles--far outpacing their nearest 
competitors.
  Making Ecole Classique's accomplishment even more remarkable is the 
fact that while other teams are comprised of all-star students pooled 
from multiple schools, Ecole Classique's team only consists of students 
who attend this small school in Metairie, Louisiana.
  I must also salute the team's coach, Don Shannon. An extraordinary 
leader and mentor, Mr. Shannon has distinguished himself by becoming 
the only Academic Games coach in the nation to lead multiple 
sweepstakes champions in all four divisions.
  I congratulate the remarkable students of Ecole Classique's Academic 
Games team who continue to make their family, school and community 
proud, and extend my very best wishes for their continued 
success.

                          ____________________