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  • Main Street School students get a lesson in bus behavior during the first week of school as part of the PBIS initiative in the Shelbyville school system.

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August 28, 2009

Positive Behavior Emphasized in Shelbyville Schools

VALORIE EVERSOLE - Daily Union Staff Writer

Shelbyville schools are teaching students to be respectful, responsible, and safe in various situations at school.

The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a district initiative for creating safer and more effective schools.

“PBIS is not a program or a curriculum,” said Main Street School Principal Denise Bence. “It is a team-based process for problem solving, planning and evaluation. It is an approach to creating a safe and productive learning environment where teachers can teach and all students can learn.”

During the first week of school students at Main Street School and the Kindergarten Center learned “cool tools” that will help them in areas such as the lunchroom, playground, hallways, and classrooms. Then the focus will shift to the character words respect, responsibility, citizenship, caring, fairness, trustworthiness, perseverance, and friendship throughout the rest of the school year..

“Another component of PBIS is the use of consistent positive reinforcement to celebrate students’ success,” Bence said. “Students can receive Rams Pride tickets from any staff member in the building.”

The tickets allows students to be eligible for weekly rewards and entire classrooms who demonstrate appropriate behavior can earn special privileges. “Fun Fridays” are special events planned for the last Friday of the month for students who have not received a noon detention or “lunch and learn” during that month.

“The Main Street and Kindergarten Center staff is committed to creating a school environment where students learn and work together,” Bence said. “It’s all about talking positive.”

At Moulton Middle School, the emphasis is on being Respectful, Accountable, Motivated, and Safe (RAMS). Students have been shown videos concerning the rules in the cafeteria, playground, restrooms, classrooms and hallways.

The videos were directed by Kristin Kleiss and Katie Moll and used Moulton students.

“We are trying to familiarize students with the expectations of behavior,” said Moulton Principal Jacque Eberspacher.

“The kids really liked the videos,” said Teresa Bauer, who is heading the program at Moulton. “We are doing the big push this week to get through to the students and then continue on through the school year.”

“The emphasis is for students to do their best at all times,” Bauer said.

Posters are also present throughout the building as a constant reminder to the students.

Rewards are also given as students displaying good behavior are included in a weekly Rams Bingo.

At the High School level, PBIS is incorporated into the school’s work ethics program, which has been in place the past couple of years.

“We have 10 ethics that we focus on throughout the school year,” said Assistant Principal Tony Pullen. Banners displaying the attributes are located thoughout the building as a constant reminder to the students.

Contests between the classes are held throughout the year using the ethics. Rewards, or positives, are key to PBIS.

“The groundwork is being laid at Main Street School and continues on through Moulton. The high school will be more involved in the intervention part,” Pullen said.

Pullen said that a new discipline program will be used that will track a student’s discipline history and gives the administrator an idea of how to work with the student.

“I’m looking forward to getting this data to work with students to help them,” Pullen said.

Pullen said that PBIS and the work ethics program are working to “make the world more real to them.”





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