[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8750]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        MAY SCHOOL OF THE MONTH

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                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 22, 2000

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have named W. Tresper 
Clarke Middle School in Westbury as the School of the Month in the 
Fourth Congressional District for May 2000. It was one of 34 middle 
schools and 32 high schools to be named a National Service-Learning 
Leader School, and will be honored by the White House in June.
  I want to congratulate the Clarke Middle School community on 
receiving this national honor, Nassau has noticed the difference Clarke 
students make in our community as a result of their education.They 
deserve recognition on a national level, not just on a local one.
  Ivy Diton is the Principal of Clarke, and Dr. Robert Dillon is the 
Superintendent of Schools in the East Meadow School District. The 
school teaches children in grades six through eight.
  The educational initiative of service-learning is on the rise in the 
United States. More and more schools are beginning to incorporate 
community service into standard subjects. Clarke Middle School was 
recently recognized as one of 34 middle schools in the nation who have 
shown excellence in service-learning. Clarke was the only school 
selected from the Long Island-New York City geographical area.
  The pre-teen and teen years are crucial for our kids. We know how 
capable they are, and Clarke Middle School has used this to teach their 
students the importance of giving back to our community. They are 
sending future generations of Long Islanders into their adult world as 
better citizens.
  Service-learning is the term Clarke and other schools use to describe 
their way of teaching. It involves a healthy combination of academics 
and community service, and is based on the joint efforts of teachers 
and students to make a difference. Students benefit from this approach 
because standard course material is supported by lessons of civic 
responsibility. By teaching teens the importance of volunteering and 
helping others, they learn invaluable lessons that will strengthen our 
communities.
  One hundred percent of Clarke's student body and faculty participate 
in service-learning. Ten subjects, including English, science, math, 
social studies, music, and art, feature a blend of community service 
and normal academics.
  Clarke teachers have noticed a significant increase in their 
students' discipline, academic performance, and level of 
responsibility. They have become more involved in the Long Island 
community by mentoring elementary school students, reading to preschool 
children, and teaching senior citizens about computers.
  There are so many opportunities for our teens to get involved in the 
community. Everyone can use some help now and then. Whoever Clarke 
students are helping, they are giving something back to Long Island, to 
the people that have helped them before or need help now.




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