LARNED — Janet Fleske has challenged her junior English students to do hard things. 
Her idea developed from the book, “Do Hard Things,” by Alex and Brett Harris, and adapted from a writing project by her son, Mark Fleske, who teaches English at Andover Central High School.
Mrs. Fleske has incorporated into her curriculum a term-long writing project that includes a persuasive essay, a traditional research paper, a project and a plan. It requires a self-reflection paper, and a literary analysis over a nonfiction book.
With each writing, students focus on the five concepts of the “do hard things” theory, which the authors of the book feel that teenagers are not only capable of doing but should be encouraged to do as well. 
Those concepts include doing something that is outside of their comfort zone; something that goes beyond what’s expected; something that is too big to do alone; something that doesn’t pay off immediately; and something that takes a stand against the crowd. 
The project’s purpose is to teach long-term goal setting, organizational skills, topical writing skills, and to encourage students to exceed expectations through self-motivation both in the classroom and in life in general. 
Earlier this month, Jenny Manry, offered a presentation to the class for possible projects that could be embraced for the Camp Pawnee project that has just been launched. 
On September 11, at 7:40 a.m., around the flagpole on the lawn of the courthouse in Larned, Braeden Bert, a member of Mrs. Fleske’s class, held a tribute for those who were injured and killed in the 9-11 terrorist attack. 
After a short tribute and a moment of silence led by Bert, Chase Penka, LHS sophomore, played TAPS. The crowd finished the brief ceremony by singing, “The Star Spangled Banner.” 
The sirens then went off exactly at the time each one of the terrorist planes attacked the twin towers, the Pentagon, and crashed in a Pennsylvania field. 
“Bert was responsible for planning, organizing, publicizing, and launching the entire tribute,” Fleske said. “Look for other amazing projects done by some amazing teenagers in the near future.  Young people are very capable and are very willing to take on challenging tasks. Bert’s 9-11 tribute is just one example.”