[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9806]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       APRIL SCHOOL OF THE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 11, 2003

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have named Gotham Avenue 
School in the Elmont Union Free School District as School of the Month 
in the Fourth Congressional District for April 2003. Mr. Marshal Zucker 
is the Principal at Gotham Avenue School, and Dr. Maria Palandra is the 
Superintendent of Schools in the Elmont Union Free School District. I 
also acknowledge Joy Madera, a Trustee on the Elmont Union Free School 
District Board of Education who helped arrange the school's selection. 
The school has 840 students in grades Prekindergarten through 6, with 
65 members on staff.
  The Gotham Avenue School Community is a close-knit body of parents, 
teachers, students, and administrators. Their goal is to ensure each 
child a stable early education through an enriched curriculum that 
keeps the children excited, and unique programs that appeal to a wide 
variety of younger children. The Elmont Union Free School District is a 
model of excellency with over 4,000 elementary school kids, which 
encompass over 70 spoken languages.
  The school was one of two schools in the district, and one of the 
total 24 chosen schools in New York State, to win the 2003 Business 
Council of New York State Pathfinder Award. The award is given for 
Outstanding Educational Improvement. The recognition and honor is truly 
extraordinary in light of the 2,900 New York State elementary schools 
eligible for the Pathfinder Award.
  Principal Zucker credits Gotham Avenue's recent success to the school 
district's new curriculum initiative. The school is focusing more 
attention on teacher planning and class curriculum mapping. Teachers 
try to instill in every student that every one of them has the 
capability of being a successful learner.
  Long Island students receive a better education thanks to the faculty 
and teachers of Gotham Avenue School and I am proud to name them school 
of the month for April.

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