[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 336]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

 Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Eagle Lake 
Elementary School, in Eagle Lake, MN, which recently earned an Award 
for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative 
achievements in educating children.
  Eagle Lake Elementary School is truly a model of educational success, 
having earned a Five Star rating from the Minnesota Department of 
Education. The school, which is part of the Mankato Area School 
District, serves 290 students from the communities of Eagle Lake and 
Madison Lake. Although relatively small, Eagle Lake Elementary offers 
an impressive variety of educational opportunities, including all-day 
kindergarten, special education services, assurance of mastery program 
for at-risk students, a school psychologist and social worker, a 
structured study center, afterschool academic assistance, speech and 
language assistance, an artist-in-residence program, mentoring program, 
lyceum programs, and challenging opportunities for highly capable 
students.
  Eagle Lake Elementary's ``400 Club,'' a school-wide home reading 
program, encourages students to spend at least 100 minutes per week 
reading. At the end of each month, a school-wide celebration honors 
those who have read over 400 minutes for the month. The ``Reading 
Buddies'' program pairs early elementary students with fourth and fifth 
grade students to explore reading through weekly themed projects and 
activities. The older buddy learns role model and leadership skills 
while the younger buddy is encouraged to develop lifelong reading 
habits. The school also boasts an orchestra program, a science fair, a 
Quiz Bowl, Peace Makers, which teaches peer mediation and conflict 
resolution, novel study, word masters, art masterpiece, geography and 
spelling bees, Jump Rope for Heart, and a variety of afterschool 
activities.
  Parents' involvement in the education of their children is also very 
high at Eagle Lake Elementary. This fall, 99 percent of all parents 
participated in parent-teacher conferences.
  Much of the credit for Eagle Lake Elementary School's success belongs 
to principal, Jason Scherber, and his dedicated teachers. The students 
and staff at Eagle Lake Elementary School understand that, in order to 
be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it 
must also provide a nurturing environment where students develop the 
knowledge, skills, and attitudes for a lifetime of success. All of the 
faculty, staff, and students at Eagle Lake Elementary School should be 
very proud of their accomplishments.
  I congratulate Eagle Lake Elementary School in Eagle Lake, MN, for 
winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional 
contributions to education in Minnesota.

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