Submitted by Denair Unified School District

There were plenty of laughs and more than a few giggles during comedian Pat Hurley’s presentation to Denair middle and high school students Tuesday morning. His riffs on teen-age sleeping patterns and dirty bedrooms, horror movies and even nursery rhymes entertained both audiences on their first day of school.

But laced within the humor were six serious messages that Hurley has shared at more than 9,000 campuses across the country. They are the qualities, he says, that separate merely good schools from “championship schools.”

• Having a clean campus
• Friendliness
• Teamwork
• Responsibility
• Respect for diversity
• Giving back to the community

Hurley told students that it doesn’t matter how big their school is or where it’s at, those six characteristics don’t change. He should know. He grew up in Atwater in the 1950s and ’60s, and then moved to metropolitan areas where he won three Emmy Awards for his work with children’s television. He now lives in Orange County and writes mystery novels in addition to his campus presentations.

“It’s not the size the school, it’s the quality of the school,” Hurley told about 400 high school students in the gym.

Earlier, talking with about 240 middle school students in their multipurpose room, Hurley said one of his measures of any campus is how clean it is. Continue reading “Comedian Shares Serious Messages With Denair Students” »