Witnessing a celebration . . .

The RC signal for Level 0 Voice

On Friday morning I joined Rock Creek Elementary students, staff, and visitors in their second Spirit Assembly of the year and it proved to be as exciting as I was told it would be from those who attended the first.  The assemblies are part of their work with the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Program, PBIS, that many of our buildings have embraced.  It was truly a celebration with hundreds of young people and adults having sharing an experience that brought them closer together.

The focus of this gathering was to reinforce implementation of the 0 to 5 level voice with 0 being used in the hallway and 5 reserved for outside.  They also throughout the program recognized individual students with Eagle Grams and Eagle Feathers for changes in their behavior and contributions to others.  At times the multi-purpose room rocked with loud music, pom-poms, and dancing teachers. At other times it was silent.  What amazed me was how quickly it went from one to the other with a signal or verbal request for change in level of voice.  They used a school developed video, skits, and interviews to reinforce the need for different voice levels and from their behavior the students understand and are practicing them.

I am thankful for the invitation as it was one of those experiences that resulted in goose bumps and appreciation for the commitment the Rock Creek Eagles adult community has for this program.  From my observation and from the stories being told it is having a positive influence on the school's culture.