[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22784]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 DONALD L. BEMIS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL NAMED BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL FOR 1999-
                                  2000

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, in 1982, the United States 
Department of Education initiated its Blue Ribbon Schools Program. In 
each year since, the Department has recognized schools throughout the 
country which excel in all areas of academic leadership, teaching and 
teacher development, and school curriculum. In other words, Blue Ribbon 
Schools are the finest public and private secondary schools our Nation 
has to offer. They are the schools that set the standard for which 
others strive. I am very proud to report that nine of the 198 Blue 
Ribbon Schools named by Secretary Richard W. Riley for 1999-2000 are 
located in the State of Michigan, and I rise today to recognize Donald 
L. Bemis Junior High School in Sterling Heights, Michigan, one of these 
nine schools.
  The mission of Donald L. Bemis Junior High is to educate its students 
in the development of knowledge, problem solving, and acceptance of 
others. Curriculum places primary emphasis on basic skills to promote 
essential knowledge and challenge students to achieve at the highest 
levels they are capable of attaining. Students are taught tolerance as 
conflict resolution strategies have been integrated into this 
curriculum. In addition, character building is taught and modeled 
within the school climate. The whole of this curriculum is designed to 
provide students with the building blocks they need to construct 
positive ideals which they can carry with them for the rest of their 
lives.
  Technology has recently begun to play a large role in the program as 
well. Each classroom at Bemis is equipped with a television and VCR, 
allowing students to be a part of a worldwide telecommunications system 
and providing teachers with audio-visual communication throughout the 
entire school. There are at least two computers in each classroom, 
which are hooked up to two building servers as well as the Internet. 
Bemis also has three computer laboratories, from which teachers and 
students can easily access personal files which have been set up for 
them. There is no doubt that technology is revolutionizing the way that 
students are taught throughout our Nation. There is also no doubt that 
Bemis Junior High has been on the forefront of employing it for 
positive purposes.
  Perhaps the greatest key to the success of Bemis Junior High though 
has been the collaborative decision making process which has been 
developed by parents, teachers and students. This process involved an 
overall dedication to the Bemis Junior High community, and relies upon 
keeping lines of communication open through parental contacts, open 
houses, parent-teacher conferences, the Parent Sounding Board, and the 
Student Council. Also present and a part of this process is the School 
Improvement Team, made up of staff and students focusing upon issues to 
enhance student achievement. All of these efforts lead to a well 
informed school community, which has been the most important aspect in 
the development of Bemis Junior High.
  Mr. President, I applaud the students, parents, faculty and 
administration of Bemis Junior High, for I believe this is an award 
which speaks more to the effort of a united community than it does to 
the work of a few individuals. With that having been said, I would like 
to recognize Mrs. Joyce A. Spade, Principal of Bemis Junior High, whose 
dedication to making her school one of


the finest in our Nation has been instrumental in creating this 
community. On behalf of the entire United States Senate, I congratulate 
Donald L. Bemis Junior High School on being named a Blue Ribbon School 
for 1999-2000, and wish the school continued success in the 
future.

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