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HOUSE RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
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Representatives are pleased to congratulate Ruth Meissen, an 
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art teacher at Harlem Middle School in Loves Park, as Illinois 
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Teacher of the Year; and

 
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    WHEREAS, The Illinois State Board of Education named Ruth 
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Meissen as Illinois Teacher of the Year; she will spend next 
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semester representing Illinois Teachers at State, local and 
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national events; she was named Illinois Teacher of the Year at 
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the 33rd annual Those Who Excel/Illinois Teacher of the Year 
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banquet; and

 
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    WHEREAS, As Illinois Teacher of the Year, Ruth Meissen will 
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have the opportunity to take her knowledge and expertise out of 
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the classroom; she will spend the 2008 spring semester speaking 
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at teacher workshops, educational conferences, and civic and 
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community meetings; she will receive a lifetime tuition waiver 
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to State universities and a one-semester paid leave to pursue 
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coursework or develop an educational project that will benefit 
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students Statewide; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Ruth Meissen will represent Illinois at the NASA 
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Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama and in the National Teacher 
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of the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State 
 


 






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School Officers and ING; she will also receive products and 
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services from Motorola and SMARTer Kids; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Ruth Meissen initially pursued a career in 
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advertising and within a few short years was vice-president of 
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the Northern Illinois Advertising Council; after a few years, 
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she took some time off to raise her second child and it was 
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during that period when she began to think about changing 
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careers; she discovered that she loved being in the classroom; 
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she works with the student council, creating partnerships with 
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businesses that can help students, Habitat for Humanity, 
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fundraising, and adopting a sister school in New Orleans that 
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had experienced severe damage during Hurricane Katrina; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Her work with the Hynes School in New Orleans 
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fostered correspondence programs between the students at 
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Harlem Middle School and students at Hynes; she raised money 
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for supplies and visited the school, at her own expense, to 
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meet the children and their teachers; she holds an art degree 
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from Columbia College and a master's degree in teaching from 
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Rockford College; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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congratulate Ruth Meissen and wish her continued success as she 
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works as an educator; and be it further

 
 


 






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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to Ruth Meissen as a symbol of our respect.