Burlington Township School District encouraging students to be respectful, kind
By: Stephen Finn
The Sun
The Burlington Township School District is giving students an extra push to be respectful, responsible and courteous this year. The First Class Falcons program is a commitment made by staff and students to show respect to others and oneself, be responsible with one’s behavior and belongings, and be courteous to all.
The program started at the elementary level, and this year the district has expanded it to the middle school as well. It is part of PBSIS or Positive Behavior Supports in Schools.
“It’s a research-based initiative to help improve behavior so we’re not just looking at what students may be doing wrong, or against the code of conduct, but we’re rewarding them for doing things in a positive manner,” said Superintendent Mary Anne Bell.
When students are observed showing behaviors like using kind and positive words, keeping hands, feet and objects to oneself, following adult direction and expectations or keeping electronic devices stored away and off, they receive a ticket from a staff member. The student can then save up the tickets and turn them in at the Falcon store for prizes like stuffed falcons, gift cards and T-shirts.
After an exploratory year at the elementary level where the new program was tested, the middle school adopted a similar program that has been re-worked to be age appropriate for older children.
After a presentation about the new program, the eighth-grade class all signed their names on a First Class Falcon banner showing their commitment to showing respect to fellow students and faculty.
Parents are also being encouraged to follow up with their children at home. Anyone with a student in the district received a brochure to serve as a guide on how to reinforce the behaviors the school is looking for.
They have found students are more likely to display responsible behaviors when parents talk to them about what they want to see them do. The brochure stressed the importance of positive reinforcement and a consistent message.
This initiative kicked off the Week of Respect, which began Monday, Oct. 1, for all schools in the district. The administration wishes to promote respect throughout the year, but is especially focused on the theme in the first months of the new school year.
“A week of respect is a great idea, however it’s an anomaly. Every day should be a day of respect inside of a school district, and that’s what the PBSIS helps us do,” said Bell. “In all of our buildings you’ll find students leaving nice notes for one another, they do various projects and we’ve brought in speakers, we do a lot for the week of respect.”
At the high school level, the sophomore class attended the Young Men and Young Women’s Conference. During the week, students attended workshops with various keynote speakers and participated in team-building activities all with a focus on respect.
These programs are specifically designed for kids today, who face new challenges in the age of social media. Children are encouraged to come forward if anything at school is making them uncomfortable.
“Our student assistant coordinators are very in tune to what our kids are facing and how they are doing with it,” said Bell.
