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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Matthew Draeger, a student at Crockett Middle School |
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in Paris, Texas, won the individual community problem solving |
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championship, junior division, at the 2009 International |
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Conference of Future Problem Solving Program International, Inc.; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, An innovative program that seeks to stimulate |
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critical and creative thinking skills and to encourage young people |
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to develop and promote a positive vision for the future, FPSPI |
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involves more than 250,000 students annually from Australia, |
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Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, |
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Singapore, and the United States; the 35th International Conference |
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was held at Michigan State University from May 28 through May 31, |
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2009; and |
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WHEREAS, Matthew, whose grandfather passed away three years |
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ago, found at the time that there were no support groups in Paris |
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for children grieving the death of a family member; for his FPSPI |
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entry, he created Project HEAL (Helping Everybody Accept Life); |
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this multifaceted program included the writing of a book, A Boy |
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Named Sam, which was based on his own experiences, as well as the |
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creation of a support group that meets monthly, the inauguration of |
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a blog site, which allows students to share their feelings and to |
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communicate with one another, and the compiling of approximately a |
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dozen brochures, with titles such as "Summer Activities for |
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Grieving Children," "Relaxation," "Holiday Help," and "Keep Stress |
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Under Control"; and |
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WHEREAS, The first FPSPI student from Texas to win an |
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international title, Matthew now plans to expand his program to |
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deal with other facets of life that cause children emotional pain, |
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such as the divorce of their parents, or the incarceration of a |
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father or mother; he also intends to prepare a new version of his |
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book, an edition that will include perspectives on death that are |
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rooted in the Christian tradition; and |
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WHEREAS, In designing his project, Matthew was coached by |
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Debb Fleming, the Socrates instructor for elementary school |
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students in the Paris Independent School District; he instituted |
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his support group with the help of Crockett principal Angela |
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Chadwick and assistant principal/counselor Deborah Robbins, and he |
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maintains his blog with the assistance of school administrators; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Matthew Draeger has channeled the sadness and anger |
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he felt at the death of his grandfather into a program that will |
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help many other students who are mourning a similar loss, and the |
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compassion, creativity, and capacity for hard work that he has |
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demonstrated so abundantly have marked him as a young man of |
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exceptional promise; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Matthew Draeger on winning |
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the individual community problem solving championship at the 2009 |
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International Conference of Future Problem Solving Program |
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International and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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success in all his endeavors; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Matthew Draeger as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |