Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS)

What is PBIS?

PBIS is a school-wide approach to preventing and responding to school and classroom behavior. PBIS is used at WES as well as at more than 3,000 schools across the country.

How does it work?

In the program, positive behaviors are frequently rewarded by school staff, while negative behaviors are consistently addressed with predictable consequences. PBIS aims to reduce the number of referrals or suspensions and enables educators to be more active and consistent in addressing behavior problems that do arise. PBIS coaches teach students the appropriate behaviors every year so they know how to act responsibly and appropriately in places such as the hallways, bathrooms, cafeterias and during assemblies.

Click here to view the expectations at WES.

What are the outcomes?

The outcome is positive behavior and a school environment that is conducive to learning.

WES PBIS Programs

“Gotcha Star”

Each day random adults are given a “Gotcha Star” to give to the class that they see meeting our building wide expectations. As students walk through the hall, work in class and throughout the building they may earn a star. When a class earns 5 stars they get to choose from a list of special rewards to celebrate their positive behaviors.

“Gotcha Bucks”

When a staff member sees a student being a positive role model in our school or catches them doing something positive in our school they can give the student a “Gotcha Buck”. Students can turn in their earned gotcha bucks to the main office and enter to win a prize from the school store. Students are also recognized over the building wide P.A. system for their positive accomplishments.

Learn more about PBIS, please visit: pbis.org

Character Education

Watervliet Elementary School expects our school community to adhere to the Six Pillars of Character Education, which are:

• Trustworthiness
• Fairness
• Respect
• Caring
• Responsibility
• Citizenship

Kids of Character

Each month two students from each class are nominated by their teacher as “Kids of Character.” They are recognized if they continuously demonstrated the monthly character trait.

For more information, visit charactercounts.org