Bear Necessities
PBIS
The teachers and staff of the Brownington Central School are committed to keeping the atmosphere productive and safe at all times. In order for this to be accomplished, we use the techniques and system of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an approach to teaching that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community. The goal is to enable optimal student learning. Created by classroom teachers and backed by evidence from independent research, PBIS is based on the premise that children learn best when they have both academic and social-emotional skills. The approach therefore consists of deliberately helping children build academic and social-emotional competencies.
Restorative Circles/Practices
Many teachers and the staff as a group have been using a style of group meetings and processing wrong-doing known as restorative circles and restorative practices. The idea is that through strong community building, students can grow comfortable sharing their ideas. Eventually, restorative circles can be used to ‘restore’ trust after it is broken among students. These circles and practices can also be used as part of the reaction to rules violations.
Links and Spheres: Celebrations
Once we teach the Bear Necessities (school-wide behavior expectations) to the students, we begin to reinforce and celebrate when they follow them. As staff notice students meeting or exceeding the expectations, we give the students a plastic chain link to add to the class collection. Once a class collects 100 links, they have a small celebration and place a sphere into the tube in the hallway. The class will also place a stick with the class name in a cup. Each Friday morning, we draw a stick from the cup and give a small reward to that class. Once the tube fills to the top, we hold a school-wide celebration that has included in the past: extra recess, movie afternoons, field trips, and carnivals. This vital part of the PBIS system helps us recognize and celebrate positive behavior.
We try to prevent discipline problems through the use of our PBIS system. Our students are better able to understand responsibility and respect themselves and others when they are explicitly taught these concepts and skills. Students who practice these techniques will build their capacity for independence, choice making, and self-control, helping the school staff create a safe and caring environment. This type of caring environment supports learning. The Bear Necessities, school-wide rules, are posted and are reviewed with students throughout the fall and as needed later in the year.
Behavior Information Links