Administrators at Pulaski Street Elementary School in the Riverhead Central School District have kicked off a new positive behavioral interventions and supports program to influence positive behavior among the school’s student body.
The new program aims to teach students the importance of displaying integrity, being positive and respecting fellow classmates. It was introduced to students through a video that the school produced.
“At Pulaski Street, we are always striving to be better individuals, and with this program, we are shifting the emphasis from punishing bad behavior to rewarding good behavior,” said Assistant Principal Patrick Burke.
The program enables students to earn a variety of rewards for displaying good behavior in class, in the hallways, in the bathroom and on the bus. All staff are provided with positive behavior cards that they can hand out to students who are displaying the tenets of the program. Students can “cash in” the cards for a variety of prizes, including free books, a picnic with friends, playing basketball with staff members, dance tickets, breakfast with the principal and the ability to wear a hat or pajamas to school. In addition, the school will hold a monthly raffle for all card-earners. Students have the chance to win community-donated prizes, including bicycles and iPads. Teachers can also win prizes if their students display model behavior.
“This is an all-inclusive program,” said Burke, adding that student government members assisted in the writing of the positive behavior tenets that are displayed throughout the school, along with the slogan, “Let the ripple become a wave with pride.” The school is also releasing a song to accompany the positive behavior campaign.
#ThisIsRiverhead