Recognizing Yarmouth High School

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am delighted to commend Yarmouth High School of Yarmouth, ME, on being named a 2019 National Blue Ribbon Exemplary High Performing School. This outstanding high school is one of only 362 schools across the country to receive Blue Ribbon recognition this year from the U.S. Department of Education.

Created in 1982, the Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors schools that are either academically superior in their States or that demonstrate significant gains in student achievement. The schools singled out for this national recognition are models of high educational standards and accountability.

This award recognizes the hard work and determination of Yarmouth High School's students, faculty, and staff. This is a top-performing school on State-required assessments, and its strong commitment to professional development ensures that teachers, staff, and students are life-long learners. This recognition adds to the town's record of achievement in education-- Yarmouth Elementary School was awarded a Blue Ribbon last year.

The mission of Yarmouth High School is to ``empower all students to create fulfilling lives in a changing world.'' Yarmouth High School is known for its extensive extra-curricular activities, which help forge a strong school community where students are connected and encouraged to pursue their interests. In addition to the arts and athletics, the school provides strong STEM education and world language courses. A comprehensive social studies curriculum includes a Public Policy Project in which students conduct individual research on a contemporary policy issue and present their recommendations to policy makers.

Yarmouth High School students are active in their community. The student senate allows them to be involved in decisions regarding school policies and programs. Students and parents join staff and administrators to interview candidates for positions at the school. Economics classes visit local businesses, environmental science classes work on community recycling and environmental stewardship projects, and world history coursework includes visiting local religious centers to increase understanding of various cultures.

The school strives to address the varying needs of individual students by bringing together students, teachers, administrators, counselors, and parents to provide a support network to help ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed academically and socially.

This Blue Ribbon Award is a tribute not only to the students but also to the administrators, teachers, staff, and parents of Yarmouth High School. Together, they are accomplishing their mission to help students succeed in the classroom and as engaged citizens in their community and the world. They are making a difference in the lives of their students, helping them reach their full potential. I congratulate the entire community for this well-deserved recognition.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source