Lisa Johnson, Principal of Lawrenceville Elementary School, spoke to the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville on September 14 about the successes and challenges at her school.  She thanked the group for their help in maintaining the courtyard at the school and in reading to students.  Population at LES remains constant near 700, but each week finds ten leaving and ten coming in, a fact which presents challenges to her teachers.  She described the population of the student body (51% African American, 2% Asian, 10% White, 35% multi-racial) and some of the special programs (30% are English learners and 95% are on free/reduced meals).  Most of her talk focused on the community support that helps the school so much:  along with Rotary other individuals and groups which help are Mayor Johnson, Kohl’s Cares, a Level Creek student project with books, Read Across America Day, the Fall Festival, Kids Hope USA Mentor Program, Bags of Hope Food Pantry, and an Eagle Scout project.  She emphasized the need for family involvement and listed several events designed to encourage that involvement:  a Candlelight Luncheon, the Kindergarten Harvest, Intern Night, Literacy Night, STEM Night, and Parent Training Classes.  Organizations in the school encourage leadership development, including the 5th Grade Beta Club, Our Girls Are Pearls Club, and Young Knights.  She praises her teachers for “beating the odds” when students score much higher than expected on test scores.   She credits the “Positive Behavior Interventions and Support” program for a dramatic decrease in discipline problems.