[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          HONORING MESA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 21, 2001

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the New 
Mexico elementary school that continues to make leaps and bounds in the 
superior educational standards that we strive for in the national 
public schools system. Mesa Elementary School in Clovis, New Mexico, 
has an outstanding history of educational advancement, and today I wish 
to congratulate Mesa Elementary for receiving the U.S. Department of 
Education's 2000-2001 Blue Ribbon Schools Award for outstanding 
achievement in elementary education.
  The Blue Ribbon Schools Award is presented to schools that excel in 
numerous fields, from strong leadership, clear visions for the future, 
and a strong sense of mission to the high quality of teaching, up-to-
date curricula, and a commitment to share their knowledge with other 
area schools. This year, the Blue Ribbon Schools Award was only given 
to 264 elementary schools nationwide. The Central Primary School in 
Bloomfield, New Mexico, was also presented with the Blue Ribbon Schools 
Award this year.
  Mesa Elementary School promotes the philosophy that children are 
intelligent in numerous ways and incorporate this belief into the daily 
functions of the school. Principal Jan Cox has done an incredible job 
of translating this notion of applied learning into the mission of the 
school by bringing together the staff, students, parents, and the 
community of Clovis to provide an environment conducive to excellence.
  Student participation is one of the areas in which Mesa Elementary 
has shown to be one of the best in the country, and it has become a 
defining characteristic of the school. When it opened in 1991, Mesa 
Elementary students were involved from the start, selecting the school 
colors, mascot, and composing both the school song and pledge.
  Today, one student from each grade serves on the Student Advisory 
Council, which aids Principal Cox in various aspects of administrative 
processes at Mesa Elementary. Students help select the daily cafeteria 
menu by serving on the Nutrition Advisory Council. Kindergarten through 
sixth grade students run businesses in the Mesa Elementary Mall, 
supplying students with products, from school supplies to refreshments. 
The Mesa Tech Lab, a computer resource center for the school, utilizes 
students who are proficient with computers as lab ``techies'' to help 
other students learn the programs.
  One of the most influential learning tools that Mesa Elementary 
provides for its students is the Students Who Are Tutors (SWAT) team, a 
group of student mentors. The SWAT team was created under the Reading 
Rennaissance Program (RRP), a nationwide literacy program aimed at 
improving students' critical thinking skills and their performance on 
standardized tests. In this program, students from higher grades assist 
students from lower grades who are not yet independent readers. Mesa 
Elementary was a model school for the RRP, and this past year the 
school made a presentation at the first ever RRP Conference in 
Nashville, Tennessee.
  Mesa Elementary has won numerous awards for excellence over the past 
six years, including the Redbook Magazine Award for Excellence in 1995, 
the Reading Renaissance Model School and Library Awards in 1998, and 
the President's Physical Fitness Award in 1996, 1997 and 2000.
  Through their determination to achieve quality educational standards 
and provide influential learning environments, the staff, students, and 
parents of Mesa Elementary School have exemplified what it takes to be 
true leaders in education for elementary schools across the country. I 
wish to commend Mesa Elementary School upon receiving the prestigious 
Blue Ribbon Schools Award, and I know that it will be one of the 
leaders in providing quality education for New Mexican students for 
years to come.

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