[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 6603-6604] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING PARENT SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS ______ HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY of virginia in the house of representatives Wednesday, April 28, 2010 Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to the contributions of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) and Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSA) in northern Virginia. These associations serve a critical role in helping to provide the best possible educational environment for our students. Schools located throughout northern Virginia are consistently recognized as being among the very best in our country. I strongly believe one factor in the excellent education received by our students is the high level of involvement and encouragement provided by parents through PTAs and PTSAs. Parent volunteers exist in a number of capacities within each school ranging from planning and implementing social events to helping ensure that teachers have the classroom resources they need to succeed. The Northern Virginia District PTA represents a region with more than 220 schools. Maintaining a healthy and strong organization is an important part of allowing these groups to have the greatest possible impact on the students they serve. To encourage such strength, it is important to note the individual PTAs and PTSAs that excel in this mission as well as the individual Volunteers of the Year. I am pleased to congratulate the following on being recognized by the National PTA and Virginia PTA for 2009-2010 school year: $1,000.00 National PTA Healthy Lifestyle Grant: Laurel Hill ES PTA $300.00 Virginia PTA Family Fitness Grants: Samuel Tucker ES PTA and Haycock ES PTA 2010 National PTA Phoebe Apperson Hearst Family-School Partnership Awards of [[Page 6604]] Merit: Fairview ES PTA, Lake Braddock SS PTA, Mosby Woods ES PTA, and White Oaks ES PTA 2009-2010 Virginia PTA Superior Membership Achievement Awards: Falls Church ES PTA, Nottingham ES PTA, Flint Hill ES PTA, and Langley HS PTSA 2009-2010 Virginia PTA Outstanding Membership Achievement Award: Peyton Randolph ES PTA 2009-2010 100 percent Membership Awards: Chesterbrook ES PTA, Falls Church ES PTA, Flint Hill ES PTA, Langley HS PTSA, Nottingham ES PTA, and Waynewood ES PTA 2009-2010 New Unit Charters: Cedar Lane School PTSA, Laurel Hill ES PTA, Lutie Lewis Coates ES PTA, Drew Model School PTA, and Arlington Special Education PTA 2009 Virginia PTA Volunteer of the Year: Sue Bernstein, Hollin Meadows ES PTA 2010 District Volunteer of the Year Nominees (Secondary): Kathy Conrad, Patricia Fausser, John Long, Janet Robinson and Greg Brandon. 2010 District Volunteer of the Year Nominees (Elementary): Karen Hildebrand, Teresa Willebeek-Lemair, Jenniefer Schantz, Jana Hollis, Ellen Giblin, Jill Chastain and Christa Soltis. Congratulations to Sue Bernstein for being named the 2009 Volunteer of the Year and best of luck to the 2010 Volunteer of the Year Nominees. A special note of appreciation is deserved by the following individuals for their service as elected officers of the Northern Virginia PTA Executive Board as they complete their term in office; District Director Debbie Kilpatrick, 1st Asst. District Director Nina Austin, 2nd Asst. Director Rob Horvath, Secretary Angela Nesley and Treasurer Donald Cantwell. Thank you and those who serve as Committee Chairs for your tireless efforts during the 2008-2010 term in office. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing the outstanding achievements of the individuals and the PTA/PTSA organizations being recognized. Dedicated involvement from so many parents reflects a strong commitment to public education and community service that students in our schools are fortunate to experience. I offer my strong support for these organizations and their dedicated volunteers. ____________________