American Elementary School is implementing a prevention-based framework by organizing behavioral supports to enhance a positive, safe school climate for all students. Utilizing the Positive Behavior Supports framework, American staff have organized a PBIS School Store, weekly perfect attendance “opportunity drawings” for prizes & games during lunch, and class and grade level competitions. 

The goal of the student store is to promote our 3 Mustang Traits, aka The Mustang Way, by helping students focus on being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. American students earn Mustang Money based on the Mustang Behavior Expectations Matrix. Students are explicitly taught the appropriate behaviors in key target locations around campus.  When students exemplify one or more of these attributes, they can potentially earn Mustang Money to “purchase” items from our student store.  The Mustang Store is open on every other Friday during students' lunch recess. 

Normally up in the 97% attendance rate range, we a 2-3% attendance dip during key months throughout school year.  It doesn’t take much for students to fall behind in their studies; daily attendance is so important to their success.  We’ve started celebrating weekly perfect attendance on Fridays through “opportunity drawings” for students who have been to school every day that week.  Students whose names are drawn may receive a prize, Mustang swag, or play a silly game on stage during lunch!  This has been a fantastic (and fun and loud) addition to our weekly routine!  The students absolutely love it and go crazy for it!

The hope for our class competitions is to draw attention to key target areas: attendance, clean classrooms, clean lunch tables, or even low behavior incidences.  Students love games and competition, so any time we can motivate students through competition and reward them for desirable outcomes, it’s a win for everybody!

We are hoping to have many partners within the community to partner with to support our Positive Behavior initiatives, including with local businesses.  However, we could still use your help to make the student store a smashing success!  We accept item donations to "sell" in the student store: individual sized bags of chips, rice krispy treats, candy bars, ring pops, tootsie pops, individually wrapped sour straws, school supplies (Expo markers, smencils, mechanical pencils) and small toys (i.e., stress squish balls, key chains, pencil toppers).

Thank you for partnering with us in making American Elementary School the place to be!

Sincerely,

Danyelle Cushman

Principal