Joppa High School-Maple Grove Elementary District #38

Joppa High Spirit and Pride Assembly

    The students from Joppa High School were given a great opportunity to hear from Mr. Paul McKnight on Friday, September 22.  Mr. McKnight gave an informational lecture about how we can be successful in life to the students which includes School Spirit and how students can be successful in doing so.  He shared with students the Six Pillars of Success which include Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Citizenship, and Caring.  In a school system, all of these personality characteristics are important.

            The students were also introduced to Joppa High School’s new Spirit Squad.  Other students involved with Mr. McKnight’s lecture by showing how when we all work together we can be successful using the Six Pillars of Success.  For each grade, Mr. McKnight encourages students to have this sense of Spirit and Pride which will lead students to a life filled with success.

            Mr. McKnight is a unit educator for the University of Illinois Extension in the Alexander-Johnson-Massac-Pulaski-Union Extension Unit.  Some of his awards include SIU-C Social Work Undergraduate student of the year, Lincoln Academy Student Laureate-SIU-C, First Team Community College USA Today Academic All-American, 2005 Illinois Extension Professionals for Youth Education (IEPYE) Achievement in Service Award, IEPYE, 2005 State Outstanding Program for the “I, too, am America” program, IEPYE 2005 Diversity Award, IEPYE 2004 & 2005 Natural Resource/Environmental Education Award – Fish Tales Program, and 2002 Rural community Assistance from the US Department of Agriculture.  Mr. McKnight also serves on several community councils.