Potter Junior High School shows appreciation for Panda Cares sponsorship

FALLBROOK – Representatives from Potter Junior High School recently visited nearby Panda Express locations in Temecula and Carlsbad to pass along letters of appreciation from students.

The Panda Cares Foundation has provided support for three years of professional development, materials and coaching around The Leader in Me book and the Seven Habits of Highly Successful Teens in all Fallbrook Union Elementary School District schools. FUESD was selected as the first lighthouse Leader in Me School District in the United States.

Principal Leonard Rodriguez dropped off appreciative letters from those students in the Potter honors program to the Temecula Panda Express location. Assistant Principal Allen Teng unfurled a large letter of thanks for the Associated Student Body Leadership class as well as dropping off individual letters from the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) class.

At the elementary and junior high school level, the work is modeled around the remarkable success of A.B. Combs Elementary in Raleigh, N.C. By focusing on teaching students to take leadership and ownership of themselves and their school community, A.B. Combs was able to see significant improvements in both academic achievement and a decrease in behavior problems. Leader in Me is a book that chronicles the success of A.B. Combs and the potential for other schools to replicate their success.

Working directly with the Franklin/Covey organization whose founder, Dr. Stephen Covey, developed the seven habits of highly successful people, FUESD schools will be providing training and personal development for nearly all classified and certificated employees.

“We are so grateful and honored by the investment that the Panda Cares Foundation has made in our school and our school district. We are excited about the potential for our students to develop strong character, hone leadership skills, and take ownership of our campus,” said Rodriguez.

Training for teachers, staff and administrators began at Potter at the beginning of the school year, ramps up in March, and will continue into the summer.