LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Parlia- ment Place Elementary School, North Babylon, New York WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend those institutions of commitment and high achievement whose purpose and endeavors prove a dedication to the pursuit of excellence in the education of the youth of this noble Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long- standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem- orate the 50th Anniversary of Parliament Place Elementary School, North Babylon, New York; and WHEREAS, In celebration of its five decades of excellence in educa- tion, the students, teachers and parents of the Parliament Place Elemen- tary School will host an event on Wednesday, March 21, 2012; and WHEREAS, Parliament Place Elementary School was opened in September of 1962 as a K-6 school; the first principal was Richard E. Brown and subsequently, there have been ten other administrators at the helm of the school, including current principal, Drew E. Olson; and WHEREAS, Parliament Place Elementary School has undergone many changes from both a physical and educational perspective; when the school first opened as the sixth elementary school in the district, the enrollment was so high that the school was on a split session; teachers and students walked on wooden planks to enter the building as construction was incomplete; and WHEREAS, Teachers shared classrooms, and the Scott-Foresman "Sally, Dick and Jane" reading program was in place; as the years progressed, the building evolved to include a library/media center, a computer room, and a writing center; and WHEREAS, For more than a decade, Parliament Place Elementary School has been selected as a Suffolk County Reading Council Honor School, and has been commended for its community service including its support towards local food pantries and nursing homes; its students always have achieved at the highest levels and include successful members of all professions and trades; and WHEREAS, Many of the current students at Parliament Place Elementary School are second generation students, and some of the current teachers themselves were students at the school; today, the school is meeting the technological challenges of the 21st century and the students are continuing to meet the academic standards set forth by good pedagogical practices and state mandates; and WHEREAS, The steadfast and unyielding commitment of parents, educators and administrators to provide the highest quality education for students has become the hallmark and tradition of the Parliament Place Elementary School; and WHEREAS, Within the 21st century, the Parliament Place Elementary School stands prepared to reach out, in earnest and enthusiastic quest of its mission, to promote the maximum growth of every student, estab- lishing standards and building skills which will carry its students and the citizens of its community into the future; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Parliament Place Elementary School, North Babylon, New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran- smitted to Drew E. Olson, Principal, Parliament Place Elementary School, 80 Parliament Place, North Babylon, New York 11703.