[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 20055]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               CONGRATULATING MOUNT SAINT CHARLES ACADEMY

 Mr. L. CHAFEE. Mr. President, this past weekend, Mount Saint 
Charles Academy of Woonsocket, Rhode Island, was honored at a ceremony 
recognizing it as a Blue Ribbon School. I would like to commend them on 
this outstanding achievement.
  ``Mount,'' as it is called in Rhode Island has long been recognized 
nationally for its elite hockey program. In fact, the Mounties hockey 
team is so good that they have won the last 23 Rhode Island State 
Championships--a record--and during that stretch they skated their way 
to ten straight High School National Championships.
  But in Rhode Island, Mount Saint Charles is best known for its 
excellent academic reputation. It is great to see ``Mount'' recognized 
nationally for its academic excellence, not just its hockey.
  The Blue Ribbon School program rewards schools that excel in all 
areas of academic leadership, teaching and teacher development, and 
school curriculum. Schools are chosen through a competitive application 
process that rates each school on two areas. The first category, 
``Conditions of Effective Schooling,'' includes teaching environment, 
curriculum and instruction, parent and community support, and student 
environment. The second category, ``Indicators of Success,'' includes 
student test performance, high attendance and graduation rates, as well 
as postgraduate pursuits.
  I am proud to see a Rhode Island school recognized nationally for 
setting the bar high, and I applaud the teachers, principles, and 
students who have worked so hard to make Mount Saint Charles a Blue 
Ribbon School.

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