H*3840 Concurrent Resolution, By Walker
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE O. P. EARLE ELEMENTARY
 SCHOOL IN LANDRUM, SOUTH CAROLINA, FOR ITS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS IN
 EDUCATING ITS STUDENTS WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN THE SCHOOL BEING SINGLED OUT
 WITH AWARDS AND ACCOLADES BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE
 INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION.

   04/06/99  House  Introduced, adopted, sent to Senate HJ-20
   04/07/99  Senate Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence SJ-12

TO RECOGNIZE AND CONGRATULATE O. P. EARLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN LANDRUM, SOUTH CAROLINA, FOR ITS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS IN EDUCATING ITS STUDENTS WHICH HAVE RESULTED IN THE SCHOOL BEING SINGLED OUT WITH AWARDS AND ACCOLADES BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION.

Whereas, O. P. Earle Elementary School is a rural school which serves Landrum, South Carolina and the northern area of Spartanburg County that goes to the North Carolina boundary and to the Greenville County line; and

Whereas, this school has been in existence for forty-three years, was built on land donated by the Earle family, and the school received its name, O. P. Earle Elementary School, to honor this donation; and

Whereas, this is one of five elementary schools in Spartanburg District One and proud to be the home of approximately 560 students from kindergarten to grade six, forty-five teachers and staff members; and

Whereas, O. P. Earle is truly a community school as its doors are always open and many organizations use its facilities after school hours; for example, the Landrum office of Spartanburg Parks and Recreation is in O. P. Earle, and classes and activities for all ages such as quilting, aerobics, karate, and dancing are held at the school; and

Whereas, the faculty and staff of O. P. Earle Elementary School, led by Principal William Sizemore, are especially serious and dedicated to their calling of educating the youngsters in their school. This is shown by the increase in test scores which has happened in the last six years. O. P. Earle Elementary School has risen from the lower thirtieth percentile to the eighty-first percentile on the BSAP test scores as compared to all schools in South Carolina. The Department of Education has recognized O. P. Earle's efforts and its outstanding results by giving the school its Incentive Reward for the past four years; and

Whereas, O. P. Earle Elementary was further honored by the State Department of Education in the 1997-98 school year when it received the Exemplary Writing Award; and

Whereas, if writing is the first strong component of the O. P. Earle learning program, the second equally strong element is its superb reading program. The importance of reading and writing is enthusiastically emphasized in every corner of the school - from its gymnasium to the cafeteria; and

Whereas, this love and thirst for reading was recognized by the International Reading Association which recognizes outstanding language arts and reading programs in schools throughout North America. This association has named O. P. Earle Elementary School as having the "Exemplary Reading Program in South Carolina" for the 1998-99 school year; and

Whereas, with this great achievement goes the honor to O. P. Earle Elementary School of representing the State of South Carolina at the National International Reading Association Conference in San Diego in May, 1999; and

Whereas, the faculty, staff, volunteers, parents, and students of O. P. Earle Elementary School are greatly deserving of recognition for their spirit, their dedication, and accomplishments which have made all of these awards possible. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, recognizes and congratulates O. P. Earle Elementary School in Landrum, South Carolina, for its extremely successful efforts in educating its students which have resulted in the school being singled out with awards and accolades by the State Department of Education and the International Reading Association.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to O. P. Earle Elementary School and its principal, Mr. William Sizemore.