[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 23]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 31816-31817]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   IN HONOR OF MARY ORR'S COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND 
              PARENTS AT ABRAHAM LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 15, 2007

  Mr. GARRETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Mary Orr, 
Principal at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Wyckoff, New Jersey, 
for her extraordinary commitment to high standards of education 
excellence.
  Mary Orr has taken learning to a new level, integrating fresh 
technology, new education tools, and incredible enthusiasm into the 
approach at Abraham Lincoln. She mixes theory-driven number-crunching 
with a very personal touch at her school, encouraging teachers to

[[Page 31817]]

find new and creative ways to help their students ``learn to be 
learners.'' Mary Orr has developed her own method for using 
spreadsheets to chart test scores and provide teachers with easy-to-
follow graphs on their classroom achievements. She also encourages her 
teachers to use technology to give students new ways to access 
information and develop a real love of learning.
  An educator in Wyckoff since 1969, Mary Orr is being honored now as 
New Jersey's Distinguished Principal by the U.S. Department of 
Education and National Association of Elementary School Principals. She 
has long been eligible to retire, but she continues to give her all to 
the students, teachers, and parents of Abraham Lincoln Elementary 
School.
  In fact, she continues to pursue enhancement of her own already-
impressive professional credentials. She has already earned a master's 
degree in language arts and a doctorate in education administration, 
yet Mary Orr is pursuing a second master's in educational technology. 
And, all the while, she also remains an active part of the community, 
spending time with the local Rotary Club and earning the 2004 Wyckoff 
Family YMCA's First Annual William E. Boye Jr. Humanitarian Award.
  From her enthusiastic spirit to her detail-driven approach, Mary Orr 
has made Abraham Lincoln Elementary School a model for all to emulate. 
I commend her on her good work there.

                          ____________________