A party for PBIS

NORWALK - All year long, students at Pleasant Elementary work to earn points for the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS) rewards program. Once a classroom has reached the benchmark, the students get to celebrate with a party or group activity. This year, classes celebrated with different group activities like playing bingo. Students can earn points in a variety of ways, including doing well on a test or assignment, good behavior with a substitute teacher or helping others. Principal Janice Smith said that students look forward to these celebrations all year, and it is a good way for them to highlight student achievements. "We like to award points especially when kids are working hard and you don't think anyone is looking, just good character doing this for others." Teachers track students points through an online PBIS system, and award them to individual students or to the entire class. Students can receive prizes by hitting certain benchmarks throughout the year. Prizes include stickers, shirts, bags, coupons, candy and treats. Students can also earn extra points by being a "lighthouse leader" which is another program the school runs to highlight excellent behavior. "We started the leader in me program a few years back in addition to PBIS, which we have been doing for more than 10 years," Smith said.