A few former graduates of Jamestown High School rocked their old school house Friday to help launch a new behavioral program.

The Jamestown High School Auditorium was filled with the sounds of local band Smackdab to help the school launch its “Raider Pride” Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program, or PBIS. PBIS is a program which focuses on and encourages positive behavior by rewarding students for good behavior. PBIS is a districtwide program that is in place at each school in ways that are unique to each school.

While the assembly was expected, the appearance of Smackdab was a big surprise to the audience in the auditorium.

Mike McElrath, Jamestown High School principal, explained the PBIS program would include the reinstitution of gold and silver cards which are given out as an award to students who meet the requirements each month. McElrath said the gold cards require students to have no absences and no write-ups for the entire month, while silver cards require students to have only one absence and no write-ups.

The gold and silver card program gives the students special privileges such as the free admission to all games for a month or two entry tickets into a drawing for Red Raider clothing.

After discussing the program, McElrath told the students the district is hoping to bring more former graduates to interact and talk with them occasionally.

“You guys have hung in there we had a tough week, but now we’re ready to roll,” he said, adding a few JHS graduates would be joining him on stage. “Ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce to you a local band, they’re from Jamestown and they’ve been all over the world. Here is Smackdab!”

The screen was lifted and a curtain was drawn away as Smackdab took the stage with funk and soul. Several members of the band graduated from the high school, including John-Marc Johnson, the lead singer.

“It’s weird to be back here. It’s weird, but it’s good,” Johnson said after his first song. “You know my favorite class when I came here was lunch, and it still is.”

Jack Osborne, Jamestown High School teacher, said the concert was a fun way to kick off the PBIS program.

“This is the second year we’ve had the gold and silver cards, and it’s just a way to reward kids for good behavior,” Osborne said.

He said students who have good behavior are given tickets which they can redeem for a variety of things such as magnets, free tickets to dances and more. Osborne said the tickets are in addition to the silver and gold card monthly giveaways.

Last year he said half of the student body received silver or gold cards each month.

“The goal is to recognize kids who are behaving positively,” Osborne said. “We want to increase the positive rather than decrease the negative. It’s been really nice.”

McElrath said he knows lead singer, Johnson, and that led to the band gracing the stage at JHS.

“We just wanted to try something different,” he said, adding the point is to encourage positive behaviors at the high school. “We also want students to enjoy their high school experience.”