Weekly Store: My building is a 5th and 6th grade building, but I used this same idea when I was a junior high principal and brought it with me to this building. We have study hall at the end of the day. Students may use the school store once a week during that time. They may buy a snack or school supplies with their "Davis Dollars" earned from either working at a job or for behavior. They may also spend their own money. Students who purchase food or juice are allowed to drink and eat during study hall.
We use to do pop and chips, etc. but no longer do anything that isn't healthy. Junior high and high school kids would love to have a coke during study hall.
The special ed. teachers ran the store. Special ed. students worked the store along with gifted students. Community donations started the store.
Auction: Our fifth grade does an auction at the end of each semester. You may want to contact lheaton@southeastern337.com
or jwartick@southeastern337.com
Nancy Akers, Southeastern Elementary
S.T.A.R.S.: We have a theme each year that centers on self-responsible behavior – both personal and academic. This year - S.T.A.R.S - Students and
Teachers Achieving Real Success.
When a student is "caught" going above and beyond
(grades/assignments/behavior) their name is put into the box for a drawing. At our monthly assembly, I read the names of all the students whose names were submitted - always noting those students who had multiple submissions.
I take 25% of the total names and draw that number from the box. Those students come forward to claim a prize of their choice. ie. healthy snack bars, cool post-its, pens highlighters, small diaries - basically anything from the $store. I have also had community businesses donate items as well.
This is our third year and the kids and teachers still enjoy it. The teachers really like the system and do not feel it compromises much of their time.
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The kids always want to know "Why was my name in the S.T.A.R.S. box?" When the teacher puts the child's name in, they also jot a quick reason. So, when kids ask why, I can quickly look and let them know.
We also offer a free study at the beginning of each month. This is for students who had no late assignments in the preceding month. This was a student led idea.
Ann R. Tilton, Dean of Students, AFC Middle School
318 E. South Street, Franklin Grove, IL 61006
Happygrams: One thing I do that works for K-8 is Happygrams. The teachers/aides complete a Happygram for behavior/academics/etc. The student bring them to me to exchange for something tangible, which could be pencils/notebooks/food/trinkets/etc - which are all CHEAP! We tried awards every three weeks - it worked for K-4 but not 5-8. Sometimes I give boxtops if enough have been donated.
Last year I used PAWS with the six character traits. We drew ten names at the end each week. Then the top ten students each month received a party of some kind. Quarterly, we went bowling/movie/etc. End of year - swimming.
5-8 students react well to the food aspect - juices/snacks/etc. (healthy of course). I also let them save up ten for a pizza party that I have once a month.
We have wanted posters throughout the building that change monthly - wanted: respectful students. That month we take pictures of the students who have been respectful and place them by the wanted posters. At the end of the month we draw a names for small amounts of cash.
Sally Epperson Cherry, Supt., Grand Prairie CCSD #6
21462 N Richview Lane, Centralia, IL 62801 618.249.6289
Quarterly Party/Cardinals Game: When I did my internship at a middle school, we implemented a system similar to this. We aimed to recognize the kids who simply did their "jobs" every day, the right way.
Each quarter, teachers kept track of kids who had any 0%s in the grade book or had unexcused absences, suspensions, detentions, etc. These kids were
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eliminated from our quarterly homework party - popcorn and a movie, extra recess in the gym, pizza and a movie, ice cream, etc.
We kept track of this throughout the year and honored these kids at a party each quarter.
The big grand prize for the kids who made it the whole year without any late assignments, tardies, etc. got to attend a Cardinals baseball game - paid for through our student betterment fund and other activity accounts. We took 61 kids to the game, and it was a blast!!!
We also understood that nobody is perfect, so we gave homework passes each quarter to all kids. This pass allowed them a one-time "get out of jail free" pass in case they forgot an assignment, etc. They could only use it once per class each quarter (they got a pass in Math, Reading, Science - all classes). Once the pass was used and they forgot an assignment, they were out of the party and the Cardinal game.
It worked very well to honor the kids who simply did what they were supposed to do in school each day. Although I left the school two years ago, I understand they still use this incentive program today.
Sam Knox, Activities Director, Lincoln Community High School
Phone: 217-732-4131 ext. 250
Quarterly Reward Day: A couple of years ago we started a positive behavior plan. Basically, no invites to homework hangout and no detentions for a quarter.
The reward is an afternoon from school for various activities. Ie. mini golf, movie, Decatur athletic club, etc.
Seemed pretty high standards until we realized that we had 190-200 kids out of 275 or so qualify. What ever you do, I would recommend keeping the timeline short ( every quarter ). Middle School students are short term thinkers, they are just not wired to think long term (semester) rewards.
Hope this helps. Last trip is Principal's choice. Always a baseball game somewhere :-)
Joe Marks, Principal, Sullivan Middle School jmarks@sullivan.k12.il.us
Reading Program: We have a reading incentive program in place with book bucks that the students can use to purchase items and we have a semester
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reward program for students as well. If you would like to know more about the reading incentive program you can email Ken Hawley at khawley@cam.k12.il.us
or I could fax you the info on the semester reward program if you like. Just let me know. 217-226-4241 or camerons@cam.k12.il.us
Scott Cameron, Prinicpal, Central A & M Middle School
Meteor Honor Cards: We have two programs we implement to reinforce positive and prosocial behavior. The first involves our student ID's. Students who earn one detention or less, and no suspensions, within a quarter get their school picture ID punched at the end of the quarter. Punched ID's become
"Meteor Honor" cards that enable the holder to present them at local businesses and establishments and receive free items or discounts. Our community is very supportive of the program and donates many items or provides our students with discounted materials and/or services.
Students that earn a punched honor card during both quarters can attend our Semester Incentive Activity. This occurs during an afternoon, on a school day, at the end of each semester. Students who are eligible to attend get out of class for the afternoon, and attend a school-sponsored party. Our Athletic Boosters serve concessions, we hire a DJ for dancing, we bring in blow-up jumpers and obstacle courses to the gym, and the students can play games (board games, ping-pong, etc.) Students who do not earn the privilege of attending the incentive activity follow their schedule and do work back in the classrooms. We consolidate the classes, with teachers supervising students at the incentive activity and some staying back to supervise students working in classrooms. A school can set up an honor card system with academics or behavior, or standards reflecting both areas.
STARS: Our second program is our STARS program, or Students Taking a
Responsible Stand. This involves mixing our entire student body up, across grade levels, and assigning them to a STARS group for the school year. On our early dismissal (school improvement) days, when the students leave at 10:35 AM, we conduct STARS periods. This involves 75 minutes of facilitated instruction regarding a pre-designated character component. Every certified staff member facilitates a STARS group, and our noncerts assist with groups containing a few of our more involved
IEP students. This year, we have covered such topics as
Organization/Responsibility, Kindness, Conflict Resolution, and Positive
Choices. We have a Climate Committee who is in charge of planning the lessons, training the staff, securing community donations, and arranging assembly programs. In order to reinforce the prosocial behaviors being taught, each staff member is given a stack of "gold" STARS tickets.
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Each time a staff member observes a student exhibiting prosocial behaviors (throughout every day of every week), they fill out the student's name and grade and place the ticket in our "drawing" basket
(clear box kept in our commons area or lunch room). At the end of each week, we draw tickets from the box and give out prizes. The prizes are donated by area businesses. Examples of prizes include t-shirts, coupons for free food, boxes of candy, trinkets, etc. This is the first year of our STARS program, and we will probably make some minor adjustments next year after receiving feedback from staff and students.
Mainly, our staff feel meeting with their STARS groups only six times per year is not enough in terms of frequency.
Julia Wheaton, Principal, Mokena Junior High School
19815 Kirkstone Way, Mokena, IL 60448 (708) 342-4870
Six recommendations for PBIS:
PBIS: We are a "traditional" Jr. High building of 265 7th and 8th graders.
For the past five years we have been using the PBIS (Positive Behavior
Interventions and Support) program and have developed many weekly, monthly, quarterly, and semester incentives. If you would like to discuss these, please give me a call at (309) 426-2682 or e-mail me back with specific questions.
Don Farr, Principal, Monmouth-Roseville Jr. High
PBIS: Try http://www.pbisillinois.org/ This program you tailor make to suit your needs and it addresses the positive behavior reward system you are looking for...I can give you lots of details if you want to call me.
V.L. Norton, BA, MA, Ed S, Martinsville Elementary Principal
410 E. Kendall, Martinsville, IL 62442
217-382-5219 fax 217-382-4116 phone vnorton@martinsville.k12.il.us
PBIS: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Staff gets trained, everyone is on the same page and you customize it to your student needs.
PBIS: (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) is a great system. You build it to meet your needs and it is data driven. It takes buy-in from staff but it
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is more than effective. It is actually being supported by ISBE, one of the few things they push that's worthwhile! Here's the website: http://www.pbisillinois.org/
Mike Penicook, JW Eater
PBIS: At ICMS we use Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, coordinated by our guidance counselor. It's positive and targeted and teamdriven, and it has worked for us... We do Gotcha's that can be spent at our
"Stop -n- Go Store," quarterly prize assemblies, advisory/homeroom competitions, breakfast with the principal, etc. amongst other rewards.
I think our counselor and PBIS Coordinator, Rachel Downing, would be willing to talk with you about it! 309-562-7251 rdowning@illinicentral.org
Jeremiah K. Auble, Principal, Illini Central Middle School
12544 State Route 10, Easton, IL 62633
PBIS: We implement the PBIS problem-solving system approach to behavior.
In short, the program works by explaining our POSITIVE school-wide expectations at the beginning of the year during an all-school assembly. We continue to teach more detailed "cool tool" lessons during each week's advisory class. We continue to reward the students throughout the year with "Bulldog
Bucks". These Bucks can be spent in the PBIS Store which we open every Friday during lunch. We have random items in the store that we have accumulated such as dollar items from "Target", and larger items like football, T-shirts, remote control car, and MP-3 players.
Michael J. Merritt, Dean of Students, Aux Sable Middle School
2001 Wildspring Parkway, Joliet, Il. 60435 815-267-7077 Ext. 6306
The original question:
Junior High/Middle School Principals:
My junior high teachers are interested in implementing a reward system for behavior and grades. We are looking at a once-per-semester auction or store where kids could spend tickets they earn during the semester.
If anyone has a good system in place, I'd be interested in hearing about it. If you would rather give me the name and e-mail of one of your staff members, I can have my teachers contact them.
Thanks for your help-
Jeff Asmus, Principal
Heyworth Junior and Senior High School
(309) 473-2322
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