LOWNDES CO. — Nine schools earn statewide John Hancock Awards recognizing student proficiency in cursive writing.

Release:

VALDOSTA, GA – Nine Lowndes County Schools have earned statewide recognition for their students’ cursive writing proficiency through the Georgia Department of Education’s John Hancock Award.
Eight Lowndes County schools earned the John Hancock Banner and Ribbon of Distinction, the program’s highest level of recognition. Clyattville Elementary School, Hahira Elementary School, Hahira Middle School, Lake Park Elementary School, Lowndes High School, Moulton-Branch Elementary School, Pine Grove Elementary School, and Westside Elementary School each earned the distinction. Dewar Elementary School also received statewide recognition, earning the John Hancock Banner and Proficiency Ribbon.
The John Hancock Award recognizes elementary, middle, and high schools whose students demonstrate proficiency in cursive writing. To earn the Banner and Proficiency Ribbon, at least 90 percent of students must be able to write their names in cursive. To earn the higher Ribbon of Distinction, at least 90 percent of students must be able to write both their names and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution in cursive.
Schools submit representative samples of student cursive writing and attest that at least 90 percent of their students meet the requirements for the recognition level.
“We are incredibly proud of our students and teachers for earning this recognition,” Superintendent Sandra Wilcher expresses. “Cursive writing is more than a traditional skill; it strengthens literacy while giving students the ability to engage with our nation’s history in a meaningful way. This recognition reflects the intentional work happening in our classrooms and our commitment to developing strong, confident learners who understand the connection between literacy, history, and citizenship.”
Of Georgia’s approximately 2,300 public schools, Lowndes County Schools are among 630 schools recognized with the John Hancock Award for the 2025-2026 school year. Statewide, 323 schools earned the Banner and Ribbon of Distinction, while 307 earned the Banner and Proficiency Ribbon.
The Georgia Department of Education announced the honorees in conjunction with Constitution Week. The recognition is part of the state’s efforts to emphasize the connection between literacy, history, and civic understanding as schools also commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States during the 2026-2027 school year.
Cursive writing is included in Georgia’s English Language Arts standards and supports the development of fine motor skills, spelling, writing fluency, memory, and cognitive development. The skill also allows students to read historic documents, including the U.S. Constitution, as they were originally written.
As part of Constitution Week, the Georgia Department of Education is also distributing pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution to fourth-grade students statewide. This year’s edition was redesigned to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and provide students with a resource to study the nation’s founding principles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship.
The nine John Hancock Award recognitions reflect Lowndes County Schools’ continued commitment to developing strong readers and writers while providing students with opportunities to connect classroom learning to history and civic understanding.