[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15453]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CLOQUET, MINNESOTA

 Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Washington 
Elementary School, in Cloquet, MN, which recently earned an Award for 
Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements 
in educating children.
  Washington Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. 
The school's teachers and administrators are to be applauded for their 
leadership in helping children understand the harmful consequences of 
bullying other students. Its Bullying Prevention Program is one of the 
best in the State.
  The effort to address bullying at Washington Elementary began last 
year, after students were surveyed about their thoughts and attitudes 
toward a variety of school safety matters. Their responses to four key 
questions were significant: 22 percent of all pupils reported having 
been bullied at least two to three times per month; 62 percent said 
that when they see bullying they want to help, if only they knew what 
to do; children in grades 3 through 5 are the most often bullied; and 
the three places where bullying most frequently occurs are on the 
playground, in the lunchroom, and on the bus.
  All licensed and nonlicensed staff at Washington Elementary received 
training using the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Staff learned 
what bullying is and how they can put an end to it. They learned how to 
teach students to recognize a bully and what steps to take when they 
encounter one. They learned that most bullying is not physical, but 
rather uses verbal taunts, and excludes and degrades the victim. 
Children who are bullied have lower self-esteem, more absences, and 
more anxiety, along with depression and thoughts of suicide.
  The Bullying Prevention Program at Washington Elementary School has 
become a communitywide effort. Mailings were sent home to parents. 
Local business leaders, the mayor, the police chief, the media, and 
other local dignitaries participated in a ``Kick-off Celebration'' held 
earlier this school year. The program's slogan is, ``Take a Bite Out of 
Bullying''; the University of Minnesota--Duluth Bulldog serves as the 
program's mascot.
  The school community is rightly proud of the results. Children are 
coming to school feeling safer. Attendance is up. And the school 
climate has improved. The Bullying Prevention Program has been featured 
in local newspaper stories. High school students have come to 
Washington Elementary to perform skits on the bullying theme, and this 
May the CLIMB Theater group completed a 3-day residency on bullying.
  In addition, the school can take pride in its Minnesota Comprehensive 
Assessment test scores. Last year, the school received four-star 
ratings in both reading and math from the Minnesota Department of 
Education.
  Much of the credit for Washington Elementary School's success belongs 
to its principal, Randy Thudin, and to the dedicated teachers. The 
pupils and staff at Washington 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 
can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout 
life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Washington Elementary 
School should be very proud of their accomplishments.
  I congratulate Washington Elementary School in Cloquet for winning 
the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional 
contributions to education in Minnesota.

                          ____________________