May 06, 2015 –
MAYETTA: Fourth grade students from Royal Valley Middle School received a certificate of appreciation for completing a program called the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) curricula yesterday from officers at the PBPN Tribal Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Valley School District and the PBPN Tribal Council who were on hand during the ceremony. Special guest was WIBW-TV news reporter and anchor Sarah Plake.
Tribal Police Officer John Calvert, who also serves as Royal Valley’s Student Resource Officer, taught the program at the Middle School last semester that is dedicated to teaching students and their family members to learn life skills that will help them to avoid delinquent and violent behavior problems in the future. The course is taught in the classroom and involved using a work book and interactive sessions. Teachers within the school system are also involved in the program.
G.R.E.A.T. is a nationwide teaching program that was introduced last year at Royal Valley. This is the second year for the program that also involves an elementary school curriculum that was taught first semester.
Below are some photographs that were taken at the ceremony
Officer John sitting in front of his class that was the largest group he has ever taught.
Each student received a GREAT tee shirt and an award certificate for their particpation. The program is sponsored through the Potawatomi Tribal Police Department and taught in Royal Valley schools.
Nathan DeCoteau shakes hands with Tribal Police Officer Ben Thursby. Next to Thursby is PBPN officer Michael Holte whose son was also a graduate that day. WIBW Reporter Sarah Plake is in the blue shirt and School Resource Officer John Calvert is holding DeCoteau’s certificate.
A group of PBPN kids pose for the News camera.
In unison the kids all shout “It’s a GREAT day to be a Panther.”
Officer Calvert created the chant for the kids and joins in the excitement.
Proud mom Jennifer Hale with GREAT graduate Isaac Hale.
Tina Levier with her son Alek Mitchell.
Left to right: Darrell Chapman, Jim O’Toole, John Rundle, Carrie O’Toole and Tim Morse. Chapman and Morse are with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and John Rundle is Superintendant of Royal Valley (RV) School District. Jim O’Toole is on the RV Board of Education and Carrie O’Toole is on the PBPN Tribal Council.