Washington City School District students were recognized by President Donald Trump over the summer for writing him earlier this year as part of the Lions Quest Program.
According to Lions Quest organizers, in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, student success also depends on developing the social and emotional skills that provide the foundation for dealing with anger and frustration, prevent negative behaviors and develop the positive school behaviors that increase academic performance.
Washington Court House City Schools, more specifically at Cherry Hill Primary and Belle Aire Intermediate, are implementing the evidence-based Lions Quest social and emotional learning program to create optimal environments to address these challenges.
“We would love to highlight three former students and their accomplishment from last spring with Lions Quest,” Amy Jo Morris, Cherry Hill Primary school counselor said. “These students were part of a committee that chose to write letters to our President as part of a class drug awareness campaign. President Trump responded over the summer and was inspired by our students’ efforts to solve problems and find solutions to the challenges of our community and our nation.”
In the letter returned to the students (Remi Paul, Alivia Dawson and Reignen Streitenberger), the President thanked them for their letters and suggestions. President Trump said he and his wife were inspired by the nation’s young people who are trying to solve problems and find solutions to the most critical challenges.
“As your President I want you to know that I am listening, and I will always work hard for you,” Trump said in his letter. “Together we will guide the course of America and the world for many years to come and we will create a better and brighter future for you and your family.”
According to the school organizers of the Lions Quest Program, Lions Quest has been proven to decrease problematic behaviors while increasing academic achievement, pro-social behaviors, and connections to family and school. This program focuses on social and emotional skill-building to create a positive and safe school climate for students and teachers, and unite the home, school, and community. Through Lions Quest, more than 13 million students and 550,000 educators have been trained in more than 90 countries, making it one of the most widely-used social and emotional learning programs in the world.
Lions Quest, organizers suggest, has a plethora of benefits. The program helps students manage their emotions, make informed decisions, resolve conflicts, and set and achieve goals; reduces incidents of bullying and harassment while increasing student engagement and academic success; addresses issues that cause students to become alienated and isolated, or become defiant, aggressive or violent as well as trains educators in effective teaching strategies with all lessons aligned with the Common Core Standards and 21st Century College and Career Readiness Skills.
Additionally, the program develops the desire to contribute positively to the school and community; creates opportunities for students to apply their academic, social and emotional skills in meaningful service learning experiences; provides a way for educators, parents and community groups to work together to ensure that our children reach their full potential and offers a global network of school communities that are meeting academic goals by developing life skills in a positive environment, and reducing the need for punitive and controlling measures. Lions Quest provides schools with a framework for supporting the self-confidence, health and well-being of students and staff.
To learn more about the Lions Quest program in the Washington City Schools, contact Amy Jo Morris, Cherry Hill Primary school counselor, at (740) 335-3370 extension 1309, or Angie Haithcock, Belle Aire Intermediate school counselor, at (740) 335-1810 extension 2308.
Additional information regarding Lions Quest, including curriculum resources and sample lesson plans, is available at www.lions-quest.org.
Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)
LCIF supports the large-scale humanitarian initiatives of members of Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization with 1.4 million members in 210 countries and regions. Service to youth has been a longstanding mission of LCIF, which has awarded 400 grants for a cumulative total of more than $25 million to expand or establish Lions Quest programs in over 90 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.lcif.org.
The information in this article was provided by the Washington City Schools Lion Quest Program organizers.
