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It was snowing inside Hawthorne Elementary School Dec. 16, but only on two classes at a time. All 413 students earned the opportunity to have a "friendly" snowball fight inside the gym, using Nerf balls and paper snowballs, in a class-to-class competition.
The celebration was a reward for the Hawthorne students after they earned 3,000 "Bark Bucks" as part of the Positive Behavior Support program. The program, in its second year at the school, promotes good behavior.
Students earn individual recognition in the form of the Bucks, and then combine their Barks with those of classmates and eventually those of the entire school. When a class of students earns 100 Bucks, a small event such as playing a special learning game is planned in the classroom.
Eventually all the Bucks combined go toward the school-wide goal. This quarter, the goal of 3,000 was easily met and the celebration was the snowball fight and treat for each child.
Hawthorne Elementary School became a PBS school last year after the school's application was accepted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The PBS program recognizes students based on the matrix of respectful, responsible, safe behavior.
Principal Holly Johansen says the program has been successful at Hawthorne.
"The program gives consistent behavior expectations for everyone," she said. "Every teacher and every student knows what is expected. We talk about the weekly PBS lesson every morning as we gather in the gym before school."
The weekly lesson is explained so that every child knows what it means and learns what the focus of the week will be.
An example of a weekly lesson is "following adult directions the first time." As teachers or other staff members observe children exhibiting the positive behavior, they may recognize the child with a Bark Buck. "As I supervise the cafeteria, for example, I might notice a child holding the door for another or picking up trash or standing quietly in line," Johansen said. "That's when I would give a Bark Buck to that child."
The celebration goal for October was 2,000, then it was raised to 3,000, but Johansen said the next goal will be even higher.
It was snowing inside Hawthorne Elementary School Dec. 16, but only on two classes at a time. All 413 students earned the opportunity to have a "friendly" snowball fight inside the gym, using Nerf balls and paper snowballs, in a class-to-class competition.
The celebration was a reward for the Hawthorne students after they earned 3,000 "Bark Bucks" as part of the Positive Behavior Support program. The program, in its second year at the school, promotes good behavior.
Students earn individual recognition in the form of the Bucks, and then combine their Barks with those of classmates and eventually those of the entire school. When a class of students earns 100 Bucks, a small event such as playing a special learning game is planned in the classroom.
Eventually all the Bucks combined go toward the school-wide goal. This quarter, the goal of 3,000 was easily met and the celebration was the snowball fight and treat for each child.
Hawthorne Elementary School became a PBS school last year after the school's application was accepted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The PBS program recognizes students based on the matrix of respectful, responsible, safe behavior.
Principal Holly Johansen says the program has been successful at Hawthorne.
"The program gives consistent behavior expectations for everyone," she said. "Every teacher and every student knows what is expected. We talk about the weekly PBS lesson every morning as we gather in the gym before school."
The weekly lesson is explained so that every child knows what it means and learns what the focus of the week will be.
An example of a weekly lesson is "following adult directions the first time." As teachers or other staff members observe children exhibiting the positive behavior, they may recognize the child with a Bark Buck. "As I supervise the cafeteria, for example, I might notice a child holding the door for another or picking up trash or standing quietly in line," Johansen said. "That's when I would give a Bark Buck to that child."
The celebration goal for October was 2,000, then it was raised to 3,000, but Johansen said the next goal will be even higher.
