2014 -- H 8147

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LC005558

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE 32 FRESHMEN AT NORTH SMITHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

WHO WON THE RHODE ISLAND "WE THE PEOPLE" COMPETITION

     

     Introduced By: Representative Brian C.Newberry

     Date Introduced: May 06, 2014

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, North Smithfield High School freshmen have taken the first-place slot in the

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state's "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution" competition for the eighth year in a

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row; and

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     WHEREAS, On February 8, 2014, at West Warwick High School, a group of 32

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freshmen from North Smithfield High School under the guidance of honors American

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Government teacher, Mrs. Natalie O'Brien, competed against students from area high schools to

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win the "We the People" Competition. Since September, the class had labored for countless hours

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to study the Constitution, its founding principles, and its historical and modern applications; and

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     WHEREAS, The competition requires that students deliver a prepared statement on a

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specific Constitutional topic and answer a series of questions asked by a panel of judges. The

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students prepare for a wide variety of potential follow-up questions, are not allowed to use any

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materials, and are not aware of the questions they will be asked until they are posed. The students

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are required to develop the important skills of critical thinking and performing under pressure;

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and

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     WHEREAS, As a result of their February 8th victory, the class traveled to Washington,

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D.C., from April 4th through April 8th to represent Rhode Island in the National Finals; and

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     WHEREAS, "We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Competition" is

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sponsored by the Center for Civic Education and is a yearly competition held in Washington,

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D.C., for American high school students. Teams are divided into six units, each comprised of

 

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three or more members, and each team focuses on a particular area of Constitutional interest;

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now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby extends our congratulations to the honors program American

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Government teacher, Mrs. Natalie O'Brien, and the following 32 freshmen students from North

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Smithfield High School: Matthew Annunziata, Alex Bourque, MacKenzie Chartier, Lauren

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Cloutier, Amanda Connell, Kevin Crowshaw, John DerBedrosian, Jacob DiSpirito, Jacob Forbes,

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Michaela Gamache, Nicolas Hanoian, Alexander Helm, Rebecca Holliday, Faith Jacobson,

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Kristin Lafferty, Erica Lemieux, Cullen MacDonald, Jacob Malo, Matthew Mandeville,

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Tommaso Marsella, Christopher Matulaitis, Rachel Palazini, Abigail Palmer, Benjamin Palmer,

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Nolan Parent, Gennaro Pasquariello, Jennifer Pasquariello, Morgan Perry, Kyle Peterson, Brooke

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Schobel, Andrew Stevens and Miranda Zuba for winning the Rhode Island "We the People"

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Competition; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this House hereby congratulates this hard-working class on winning

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three unit awards and earning second place at the National Invitational; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to honors American Government teacher Mrs.

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Natalie O’Brien and the 32 freshmen of North Smithfield High School who represented Rhode

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Island in the National "We the People" Competition.

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LC005558

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