IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2018 | Page 74

Baldwin-Whitehall
SCHOOL
BUZZ
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION
AND SUPPORT BUILDS AN
ENVIRONMENT FOR LEARNING
Students thrive in school when they feel safe and nurtured.
In order to be proactive in forming school culture, the District
formed the Student Empowerment Committee. Made up of
teachers, administrators, and counselors, this group fosters a
positive and safe school culture.
Before the school year even began, the group came up with
monthly themes for the year — ranging from empathy to
responsibility. Each school then contextualizes the themes for
its own students through activities.
In September, students at all schools were asked to join
Rachel’s Challenge. Rachel Scott was the first victim of the
Columbine school shooting. Rachel made a practice of being
kind to those around her and wrote, “I have this theory that if
one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then
it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know
how far a little kindness can go.” A variety of students were
asked to be part of Friends of Rachel groups to spread kindness
in their schools. Denise Wells, teacher at Harrison Middle School,
shares, “Rachel’s Challenge is motivating kids to take initiative
and do nice things for each other. Kids are thinking differently.”
Wells shares that it can be easy to get caught up in
academics, but a student is more than his or her test scores. She
notes, “math might not be the most important thing to that
student that day. When students trust their teachers and peers,
they feel comfortable and excel in school. Safe students are
successful students.”
GET TO KN
the District Team
GET TO KN
BWSD Alumni
W
W
Students
can earn
time in
the ROAR
room, which
features
games and
facilitates
student
interaction.
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BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL
5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MARISSA
GALLAGHER AND THE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR
INTEGRATION STRATEGY(PBIS) PROGRAM
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION AND
SUPPORT BUILDS AN ENVIRONMENT FOR
LEARNING
The Baldwin-Whitehall School District is always seeking to educate the
whole child. As a strategic part of that goal, the District has implemented a
comprehensive Positive Behavior Intervention and Support plan for all K–8
students.
Instead of being reactive, such as sending students to the principal’s
office when they act out, Positive Behavior Intervention and Support is
proactive. It clearly communicates expectations to students and rewards
them for meeting them. Marissa Gallagher, Supervisor of Pupil Services for the
District, explains, “students know, no matter where they are, what’s expected of
them. Students know, ‘this is what it means to be respectful when I’m riding the
school bus.’ ‘This is what it means to be safe when I’m in the cafeteria.’” Students
are able to earn points toward monthly and daily rewards. Parents can see student
progress and communicate with teachers through the ClassDojo app.
Gallagher notes that discipline referrals have dramatically decreased. She
shares, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Positive Behavior
Intervention and Support builds a strong student culture and environment for
students and teachers in our District.”