At Duanesburg Elementary School, our goal is to create a social culture in our school that will encourage positive behaviors and interactions, while discouraging problem behaviors.
This social culture will lead to a safe environment where students achieve academically and build positive relationships with each other and with adults.
The foundation of the approach emphasizes teaching students the behaviors we expect to see, reminding them to use those behaviors, acknowledging them when they do, and re-teaching when they do not.
What is PBIS?
PBIS stands for positive behavioral interventions and supports. It focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior of all students. It is a proactive system approach of prevention and response to classroom and school discipline issues. The emphasis is on developing and maintaining a safe environment where teachers can teach and students can learn.
PBIS has three core values
Be Respectful: includes following directions, keeping hands and feet to yourself, using appropriate language, and raising your hand.
Be Responsible: includes being an active listener, following directions, and participating.
Be Safe: includes walking, sitting appropriately, maintaining personal space, and using equipment properly.
Students are expected to honor these core values in various school and school related settings including the classroom, hallways, library, cafeteria, bathrooms, buses and school grounds.
Specific procedures for teaching and celebrating PBIS core values and expectations will occur throughout the year. This will be achieved through the use of:
Cool Tools: School-wide instruction of expected behavior using role playing and modeling.
Golden tickets: Tickets are to reinforce good behavior. They will be collected every month and will be drawn for prizes.
Assemblies and celebrations: School activities celebrating positive behaviors.
Golden tickets
Once the teacher “catches” a student being respectful, responsible and/or safe, he/she will complete a Golden Ticket for that child.
Two Golden Tickets will be drawn each month on the news show and prizes will be distributed (one for K-2 and one for 3-5).
There will be three PBIS assemblies during the school year where larger prizes will be awarded to both students and staff members.
Parents as Partners in Education
How can you support PBIS at Duanesburg Elementary? We, at DES, are excited about PBIS and feel that you are an important part of the program implementation. Here are some ways you can support our PBIS program:
- Ask your children each day to give an example of how they followed the school-wide expectations. Ask your child if he or she received any “Golden Tickets” for the day.
- Create home expectations to help follow the same rules that are expected at school.
- Volunteer your time to help with the PBIS events and activities.
- Donate items that could be used in the PBIS raffles and incentives.
- Praise and encourage your child to support PBIS by following the PBIS core values.
Parents and family members can work with the school to learn more about PBIS implementation both in school and at home. Opportunities include: participating on a planning team, volunteering at PBIS related school activities, sharing PBIS with the community. Contact our school to find out how you can get involved.
