News
Mulberry Honored for PBIS Program
Congratulations to our team at Mulberry Elementary for receiving the Ohio PBIS Bronze Recognition Award for 2015. They were honored at the Ohio Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Showcase held on December 1 at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4H Center in Columbus. A total of 22 schools in Ohio were honored for their successful implementation of PBIS.
The Ohio PBIS Network was initiated by the Ohio Department of Education Office for Exceptional Children to develop materials, resources and training to support the scaling up of PBIS in Ohio schools, which has been an effective and proactive framework for improving safety, social competence, and academic achievement for all students.
During the 2014-15 school year, Mulberry’s entire staff was trained by the PBIS team from the Ohio Department of Education. Mulberry then formed a team of teachers and administration to tailor this program to best fit Mulberry’s needs.
“The benefit of the PBIS training is that we are all the same page and have developed a building-wide system, which has made a big difference in the positive interactions between our staff and students. We now have a clear set of expectations for all staff and students and a better sense of building pride,” said Mr. Zawodny.
Students are consistently encouraged and rewarded for following set expectations, and students who needed additional guidance are redirected in a more systematic way. Mulberry’s PBIS team examines behavior data monthly and alters activities based on this feedback.
“If we notice certain behaviors occurring in the lunch room or certain grade level, we will focus our efforts in these areas as we plan upcoming activities,” Mr. Zawodny said.
To encourage positive behavior and building pride, Mulberry holds pep rallies to review their three overarching principles: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Ready. The building has a positive reward system where students can use Eagle Earnings to “purchase” something in the school store, such as food coupons donated from local restaurants, or rewards like the opportunity to eat lunch with the teachers.
Milford will be implementing PBIS district wide for the 2016-2017 school year. A team from each building is currently receiving the PBIS Training through ODE, and will be ready to implement the model used at Mulberry. We are excited about the comprehensive and consistent approach for the district from preschool to high school.
