[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 22]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 31108-31109]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            COMMENDING PENNINGTON ELEMENTARY IN WHEAT RIDGE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB BEAUPREZ

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 21, 2003

  Mr. BEAUPREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add to the Record a story 
of true leadership and determination occurring in the very place that 
it should, our school system.
  I recently had the honor of visiting Pennington Elementary, a small 
school located back home in my great Colorado district. Not only was I 
impressed by the moral this house of education puts forth to its 
visitors, I was amazed at the progress I learned of that these young 
minds are making and the dedication of their instructors and 
administrators.
  Four years ago Pennington Elementary was considered to be the school 
to which no one wanted to send their children. The children in the 
community were known to be impolite and irresponsible. Now if you ask 
neighbors of this accomplished school about the little ones' demeanor 
in and out of the school setting, they will tell you the children are 
intelligent, delightful and always polite and courteous to those around 
them.
  This school of only 248 students has risen to the top of the pile and 
now begins their day with a ``Pennington Pledge'' as a daily reminder 
of what they stand for; a good motto for any upcoming citizen. It 
reads:

       We the students of Pennington agree to have a drug free 
     school, a safe and orderly learning environment, to be big 
     brothers and big sisters to any little student. As a 
     responsible citizen I will follow the rules of Pennington.

  Because the school has changed the outlook of the staff, community 
and parents, success is a regularly heard word within the walls of 
Pennington Elementary. The school's standardized state test scores have 
risen from 28 percent proficient or better in 1998-1999 to 56.7 percent 
during the 2002-2003 school year and continue to rise. Their fourth 
grade reading scores alone have gone from 35 percent proficient or 
greater to 82 percent during the same span of time, gaining them the 
recognition for the largest improvement in reading scores for the state 
of Colorado.
  I would also like to make mention that Pennington has achieved these 
great strides by adopting a ``no excuses attitude.'' The students and 
faculty of Pennington believe that there is no reason that their school 
should not be a school of excellence, and that very attitude is what 
has placed them as such in my eyes.

[[Page 31109]]

  Pennington illustrates pride in education and excitement for the 
learning process. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have such a school of 
excellence back home in my district. Pennington has truly shown that 
they are an excellent educational institution that strives daily to 
deliver on their goals and dedication to their children and the futures 
that await them. I am truly proud of the students, staff and community 
surrounding and supporting Pennington Elementary.

                          ____________________