Respect the SHIELD.That’s one of the new traditions at Lathrop High introduced by first-year Principal Greg Leland.This program – SHIELD is an acronym for Spartans Honor Integrity Engagement Leadership Determination – is similar to that of Honor the Code at Manteca High.“We were looking to come up with a character program,” said Leland, who contacted MHS Assistant Principal Troy Fast to help model Respect the SHIELD.Students at LHS can now look forward to being recognized and even rewarded for their good behavior with positive, tangible incentives.The painting of the shield, much like the character program, is a work in progress, with the branding of the logo still needed to complete this campus centerpiece.Leland was hired back in July as principal at LHS, taking over from Mike Horwood. He spent the previous year at the school as the assistant principal“I hit the floor running when I was hired,” he said. “I worked all through the summer.”Leland is the third principal at Lathrop High, which opened in 2008.