Washington fifth grader, Lily Speadling, enjoys a springtime coloring activity as part of the PBIS Tier 1 rewards program at the school.

Ice cream socials, hot chocolate, movies and staff vs. students kickball games are just some of the ways Washington Middle School’s PBIS Team is celebrating ALL students at the school through their Tier 1 rewards. Any students in the school can receive “tickets” from any teacher or staff member for displaying the three expectations: respectful, responsible and safe requirements. They can then use them for fun rewards held monthly on Fridays.

“It is so important to recognize students when they are ‘doing the right thing.’ Many students are really trying to make improvements to their behavior and we want to be sure that they know we see their efforts,” said Washington PBIS team members, Hope Hill & Courtney Housler.

‘ For example on a recent reward day each grade level created rewards for their students. Fifth grade students had a choice of which game or activity they were interested in such as trivia, board games and quiet time by rotating classrooms. Many students accumulate their tickets and wait for a larger reward such as cashing them in during Flash Sales or being able to participate in the school’s Battle of the Classes at the end of the school year.

The PBIS team monitors how the program is doing and what may need to be tweaked by looking at behavior data on a regular basis.

“Looking at the data is a big part of what the PBIS team does,” said Mrs. Housler and Mrs. Hill. “We dive into the data to really look at individual students and how they are doing. We can tell where we may need to help a student more, or if what we are doing is working. It also gives us an idea if the students are responding positively to the rewards we are offering or if we need to rethink our rewards. The data makes us more aware as a school to be proactive in helping students get on the right track.”

It is important to the Washington PBIS team to also recognize the students who have no write-ups at school.

“There are students who, everyday, do the right thing at school and home,” said Mrs. Housler and Mrs. Hill. ” We want to be sure those students get the proper recognition for their all-around good behavior. So, we go out of our way to recognize them and do something special just for their efforts.”

As part of the school’s Tier 1 rewards, the team is also including staff by holding “treat days,” having Starbucks donate coffee and giving out candy and an inspirational note during testing weeks and holding get-togethers outside of work to build morale and team spirit.