[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22411]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 NEVIS PUBLIC SCHOOL, NEVIS, MINNESOTA

 Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I honor Nevis Public School, 
in Nevis, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in 
Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating 
children.
  Nevis Public School is truly a model of educational success. It is a 
unique school that utilizes the strengths of the teachers, community, 
and rural setting, as well as educational opportunities in the Twin 
Cities and elsewhere to provide its students with an exemplary learning 
environment.
  The school's rural setting and connection to the local community 
offer many exceptional learning benefits for the students. The school 
is adjacent to an 80-acre school forest, which is often the classroom 
for the forest management class, while local rivers serve as the 
classroom for the aquatic management class. Each Earth Day, students 
plant trees in the school forest and throughout the community. Fourth-
graders attend an annual Agriculture in the Classroom presentation, and 
sixth-graders learn about lakes and aquatic management at the 
Freshwater Festival.
  The school is committed to a well-rounded education for its students 
and makes a strong effort to expose them to learning opportunities 
outside of the community, as well. Students have gone on ecological 
trips to Russia and Peru; the band and choir have traveled to Chicago; 
and students are given a variety of opportunities to travel to the Twin 
Cities for theatrical, sporting, and educational events. Students in 
the art program have been selected to display their work at the State 
capitol; and, for the past 3 years, Nevis School students have earned 
scholarships to attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
  In 2006, Nevis School was recognized as an ``outperformer'' by 
Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services. Nevis School was one out 
of 22 schools in Minnesota to be recognized for having significantly 
higher percentages of students who scored proficient or above on State 
reading and math tests than other Minnesota school districts with 
similar levels of student poverty.
  Much of the credit for Nevis Public School's success belongs to its 
principal, Jodi Sandmeyer, and the dedicated teachers. The students and 
staff at Nevis Public 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 Nevis Public School should be very 
proud of their accomplishments.
  I congratulate Nevis Public School in Nevis for winning the Award for 
Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to 
education in Minnesota.

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