LOCS Superintendent Marion Ginopolis will regularly share thoughts and updates about district-related topics in The Review.

Developing and sustaining positive relationships has become the norm in Lake Orion Community Schools through programs at several schools in the district. One of these programs is the Positivity Project (P2) that has taken hold and is having a great impact.

The P2 focuses on 24-character strengths to cultivate a school wide “OtherPeopleMatter” mindset with the goal of positively influencing our youth (individually and collectively) to understand and appreciate others.

Strengths ranging from bravery and forgiveness to integrity and gratitude form the foundation to the Positivity Project’s model. The premise is simple, but the results are intended to create citizens and leaders who will enhance our communities and country by internalizing the belief that other people really do matter.

The Project teaches children by acknowledging that these strengths are already a part of who they are and helps them realize that each and every one of them have these strengths. This builds their confidence and self-awareness and allows them to see others based on the content of their character.

Carpenter Elementary was the first school to embrace the Positivity Project with Webber Elementary, Pine Tree Center, Oakview Middle School and Learning Options High School soon joining Carpenter to be engaged in the P2, empowering students to build positive relationships and become their best selves.

Each school expands on their P2 learning with other projects. At Carpenter, a student leadership group was formed for P2 to help in planning assemblies, finding opportunities for community service, recognizing the character strengths in fellow students and many more occasions to help maximize the effect of P2 at Carpenter.

At Oakview Middle School, students influenced a number of senior citizens in the Lake Orion Community by visiting different senior centers. They played bingo, did puzzles, gave manicures, played card games, delivered blankets, and painted birdhouses. In preparation, the four weeks leading up to the event, all students were involved with making the blankets, collecting donations and setting the stage for the actual visit. The conversations that were had before, during and after the event were priceless. The smiles and laughs from both the seniors and the students brought tears to many. This truly was a life changing experience for all involved.

And, last week all of Metro Detroit learned how the Positivity Project is operating in LOCS as district leaders and students shared in a segment on WDIV’s “Live In the D” program.

LOCS students are clearly having a positively positive impact in their schools as well as in the Lake Orion community.