>>MELANIE LAWSON: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. SO THIS MONTH’S POSITIVELY JAX AWARD
WINNER IS ALL ABOUT SERVING
OTHERS AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
TEACHER. HE DOES THAT ALL THE
TIME. BUT HE IS ALSO FOUND A
WAY TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS. AND
HONESTLY, THE ENTIRE SCHOOL TO
ROCK OUT FOR A GOOD CAUSE.
GIVE IT UP FOR MISTER T AND A
TEAM BANNED.
>> THEY MIGHT BE LIP SINKING.
>> PLAYING A BLOW-UP GUITAR.
BUT IT’S MUSIC TO THE EARS AND
HEARTS OF HUNGRY FAMILIES IN
NORTH FLORIDA.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: THIS CONCERT
RAISED 30,000 MEALS FOR FOOD,
INSECURE FAMILIES. THE LEAD
SINGER MISTER T IS ALSO A
FIRST THROUGH 3RD GRADE
TEACHER AT J. ALLEN ACTS AND
MONTESSORI SCHOOL IN DUVAL
COUNTY. NOW, IF I SAY THE
OPPOSITE OF SOME TRACTION, IF
YOU’RE NOT TAKING AWAY, YOU
ARE. YOU’RE ADDING HIS MOTTO
WORK HARD PLAY HARD. WE LIKE
TO HAVE FUN IN THIS CLASS.
YEAH. ARE WE A COMMUNITY IN
THIS CLASS? AS THAT COMMUNITY
STOP AT OUR CLASSROOM? MISTER
T HAD THE IDEA FOR HIS
CLASSROOM COMMUNITY TO PERFORM
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STUDENT
THROUGH CLASSIC ROCK SONGS.
THERE’S GOING TO BE A PURPOSE
BEHIND IT.
>> AND THE PURPOSE WAS TO
RAISE MONEY. SO WE REACHED OUT
TO DIFFERENT NONPROFITS IN
JACKSONVILLE. THEY LANDED ON
HELPING A NONPROFIT CALLED
HUNGER FIGHT. THE ORGANIZATION
PACKS AND DISTRIBUTES FOOD
THROUGH ITS FEED. THE
BACKPACKS PROGRAM SENDING
ELEMENTARY AGE CHILDREN ON THE
FEDERAL, FREE AND REDUCED MEAL
PLAN HOME WITH FOOD FOR THE
WEEKEND.
>> KNOWING THOSE MEALS ARE
GOING OUT TO KIDS AND FAMILIES
IN JACKSONVILLE, THERE’S A
CERTAIN LEVEL OF SATISFACTION
THAT I NEVER COULD HAVE
IMAGINED. AND I THINK THESE
KIDS UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
>> SO THESE REHEARSALS HAD
MEANING.
♪
MEANING. ♪ AND IN THE CAFETERIA OF THE
SCHOOL, THEY PULLED OFF AN
EPIC CONCERT, THE 18
>> RAISING MONEY AND PACKING
FOOD IN THE BACK. LEARNING AN
INCREDIBLE LESSON THAT COULD
HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT ONLY IN
THE CLASSROOM. AS A RESULT OF
ALL THESE INCREDIBLE STUDENTS
AROUND THE AS WELL AS FORMER
STUDENTS, IPAD.
>> THAT WE CONTINUE TO
CHALLENGE EACH OTHER AND LOOK
BEYOND THE 4 WALLS OF MY
CLASSROOM.
>> SO MISTER T AND THE 18 BAY
AND YOU ARE ALL POSITIVELY
JAX.
>> SEE AV, RIGHT. SOME OF YEAR
WITH US THIS MORNING. FRANCIS
WITH CLOSETS BY DESIGN TO
PRESENT OUR POSITIVELY JAX
AWARD. THIS ONE WAS SO FUN TO
DO JUST TO SEE THE STUDENTS
AND HOW ON FIRE THEY ARE, HOW
YOU FEEL. AND YOU KNOW THAT
YOU’RE GETTING THIS AWARD
TODAY. SUPER EXCITED. THANK
YOU AND SAY IT’S IT’S ALL
ABOUT THE CHILDREN.
>> MY PAST MY PRESENT
STUDENTS, WE ARE COMMUNITY. WE
ARE THE 18 WE COME TOGETHER
AND IT’S JUST BEEN A WILD
JOURNEY. AND WE’RE JUST
GETTING WE’VE HAD A BLAST I
COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THE
STUDENTS, THEIR PARENTS, THE
COMMUNITY, MY SCHOOL, HOW WE
ALL CAME TOGETHER FOR THE
GREATER GOOD JALEN ACCENT. I’M
GONNA SUCH A SPECIAL LITTLE
SCHOOL THERE.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: OFF THE
HODGES BOULEVARD. SO FRANCIS,
SO YOU GET TO PRESENT THE
AWARD. THIS ONE PRETTY EASY TO
PICK. I THINK THIS ABSOLUTELY.
EVERYBODY NEEDS A LITTLE
MISTER T AND THEY’RE LIKE,
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT
YOU’RE DOING AND THANK YOU FOR
INSTILLING
>> WONDERFUL, YOU KNOW, ID AND
CHILDREN THAT TO GET BACK TO
THEIR COMMUNITY IS SUCH A
WONDERFUL THING. SO.
>> CONGRATULATIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 18.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT.
THIS IS FOR JUST NOT FOR ME.
THIS IS FOR THE ENTIRE CLASS.
MY PAST AND PRESENT STUDENTS
AND THEIR FAMILIES
>> WE’RE ALL POSITIVELY JAX,
NO DOUBT. SO TELL ME BECAUSE
YOU YOU’RE KIND OF JUST
BEGINNING. YOU HAVE PLANS FOR
THIS, THAT THIS WASN’T A
ONE-TIME CONCERT, BUT THAT WE
SOME CONNECTIONS WITH HUNGER
FIGHT AS WELL AS SOME OTHER.
SO THE 18 KNOWS THAT WE ARE
JUST GETTING THIS IS KIND OF
WE DIPPED OUR TOE IN THE POOL
YOU KNOW, THE FEEDBACK HAS
BEEN INCREDIBLE. AND SO, YEAH,
SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
MISTER T’S. 18? WE ARE JUST
GETTING STARTED AND WE WANT TO
SERVE JACKSONVILLE. WELL,
LOOK, WE’VE GOT WE’VE GOT SOME
OF THE A TEAM WITH HEY, KIDS
SAY HELLO, STUDENTS OVER WE’RE
GOING TO TALK MORE WITH THEM
TO REALLY SEE THE IMPACT AND
HOW IT RESONATES GOING EVEN
THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. SOME OF
YOUR STUDENTS SAYING HOW
AMAZING THIS HAS BEEN FOR
THEM. SO WE’LL MEET YOU ALL
WILL TALK TO YOU.
>> COMING UP AT 8.40, THANK
YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU
ALL. SO IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE
WHO IS POSITIVELY JAX, YOU CAN
NOMINATE THEM NEWS. 4 JAX DOT
COM. YOU LOOK UNDER OUR
POSITIVELY JAX SECTION FOR A
NOMINATION FORM. PLEASE GET
THE MAN BECAUSE WE KNOW