[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17] [Senate] [Pages 22410-22411] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]MISSISSIPPI HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SAUK RAPIDS, MINNESOTA Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, today I honor Mississippi Heights Elementary School, in Sauk Rapids, MN, which will soon earn an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children. Mississippi Heights Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. The school begins each school day by welcoming all staff and pupils in the gym with a unique ``Lift Off'' program, which is led by the children and is designed to recognize birthdays, make announcements, and strengthen the school's strong sense of community. Another special characteristic of Lift Off is its buddy system, which matches each child in the primary classes with a buddy from the intermediate classes to act as a mentor. The buddies sit together at Lift Off and read to each other before the program begins. Mississippi Heights is dedicated to a successful literacy initiative, whose goals are: implementation of a balanced literacy program that will include independent shared, guided reading, writing, and read- alouds throughout the day; students' demonstration of individual improvement in reading levels; reading and writing throughout the day which aims toward raising RIGBY and Guided Reading levels for each student; and daily reading aloud by teachers, with 5,000 read-aloud books as a building goal. Teachers at Mississippi Heights have made reading and writing a top priority, and it shows in their enthusiasm and passion in the classroom. The students' reading and writing scores have improved: More than 30 percent of the students scored in the top level of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in 2006, and the school earned four stars from the Minnesota Department of Education in reading this year. Much of the credit for Mississippi Heights Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, Jean Clark, and the dedicated teachers. The children and staff at Mississippi Heights Elementary School understand that in order to be successful a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where children can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Mississippi Heights Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments. I congratulate Mississippi Heights Elementary School in Sauk Rapids for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota. [[Page 22411]] ____________________