HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 98-4696, by Representatives Veloria, Cody and Crouse

     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives recognizes excellence in the field of education and fosters awareness of cultural backgrounds and nationalities; and

     WHEREAS, The French class at Foster High School in Tukwila, Washington, under the leadership of Ms. Susan Pike, was inspired after a speech by Tukwila School District Board Director Mary Fertakis concerning her volunteer Peace Corps experience in the village of Thillagrand in Senegal; and

     WHEREAS, That inspiration led the class to send one hundred pounds of school supplies with directions in French; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Doug Bruce, a teacher in the foreign language department, will accompany Ms. Fertakis and her family, who will travel to Senegal in February to visit Thillagrand to develop the long-term objectives; and

     WHEREAS, The personal contact will enable the Sister Schools to establish mutually agreeable communication avenues, guidelines, and expectations for their partnerships; and

     WHEREAS, This partnership will dispel myths/stereotypes associated with West Africa and will develop an understanding between students from different cultures of how similar they are; and

     WHEREAS, Foster High School has twenty-five hundred students, eighteen percent are ESL (English as a Second Language) representing twenty-eight different languages; and

     WHEREAS, The interaction our students have on a daily basis with people from other cultures is preparing them for the world they will live and work in;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and honor the Sister School partnership between Foster High School in Tukwila and Thillagrand Village in Senegal.

                           --- END ---