Honoring Mater Gardens Academy

Floor Speech

Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mater Gardens Academy and to congratulate the school on being recognized as a 2014 National Blue Ribbon recipient.
The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Every year the U.S. Department of Education seeks out and celebrates great American schools, and Mater Gardens Academy has earned that distinction.

This is quite an accomplishment, and a testament to the commitment the school has shown to educating its students and providing them with the best faculty and resources to succeed. The school has truly taken its mission of bringing about meaningful achievement enabling students to become confident, lifelong learners.

Mater Gardens Academy opened its doors in August 2006 as a K-8 charter school sponsored by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Mater Gardens upholds core values that pave the way for student success: setting high expectations, valuing individuality, expecting accountability, and demonstrating respect, honesty, and integrity. The school has consistently been recognized for outstanding achievement. In 2011 Mater Academy placed sixth in the county on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) Science, and has also won the Gold Award from Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2006 and 2007. In 2012 and 2013 the school was named one of the top 10 schools in Miami-Dade County.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mater Gardens Academy for their tremendous service to its students and the tireless work of their faculty, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable school.

Source