[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 15929]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING MANKATO EAST JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, MANKATO, MINNESOTA

 Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I honor Mankato East Junior 
High School, in Mankato, MN, which recently earned an Award for 
Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements 
in educating children.
  Mankato East Junior High School is truly a model of educational 
success. The school has formed a partnership with the Greater Mankato 
Diversity Council to augment the community's commitment to creating an 
environment of inclusiveness. Mankato East Junior High offers the 
council's prejudice reduction workshops to the seventh and eighth 
grades. The curriculum's core value is respect.
  The seventh grade curriculum at Mankato East Junior High focuses on 
``Global Awareness/World Mindedness: If the World Were a Village.'' 
This workshop identifies inequities in the distribution of resources 
among the world's people, and it encourages dialogue about how students 
can contribute to finding a solution to the problem.
  The eighth grade workshop, ``Vive la Difference,'' gives students an 
opportunity to participate in an activity to learn about the feelings 
and behaviors accompanying inclusion and exclusion.
  Mankato East Junior High School also supports P.E.A.C.E. People 
Experiencing and Accepting Cultures Everywhere. Approximately 50 of the 
school's 465 seventh and eighth graders participate in the PEACE 
project, helping them find new ways to increase cultural awareness, 
promote acceptance among all students, speak out against violence and 
racism, teach tolerance, lead by positive example, serve the community 
through special projects, improve self-esteem, and support others.
  As part of its efforts to increase awareness and appreciation of 
other cultures, Mankato East Junior High invites the Mixed Blood 
Theater to perform for the entire student body. This year's 
presentation, the ``Black Eagle,'' tells the story of Dr. Ronald 
McNair, the African-American scientist who was aboard the Space Shuttle 
Challenger in 1986.
  Another component of the success of all of Mankato's schools is the 
tremendous support from the community. Last fall, Mankato-area voters 
approved two referenda: to provide $6 million to update many existing 
buildings throughout the district and to provide $3.5 million over 7 
years to update the schools' technology. In 2002, voters approved a 
$2.5 million per year operating referendum.
  Much of the credit for Mankato East Junior High School's success 
belongs to its principal, Rich Dahman, and the dedicated teachers. The 
students and staff at Mankato East Junior High 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 students at Mankato East Junior 
High School should be very proud of their accomplishments.
  I congratulate Mankato East Junior High School in Mankato for winning 
the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional 
contributions to education in Minnesota.

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