By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
The Eastern Aroostook RSU 39 Board of Education met Oct. 19 for a regular meeting at the Hilltop Elementary School.
During the meeting representatives from Hilltop Elementary School presented highlights of a program, created through collaborative effort with staff members from Teague Park Elementary School. The program, Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS), is designed to help students understand and learn exactly what type of behavior is acceptable and expected at their school as well as that which is not.
Through PBIS, students are taught to realize that different levels of improper behavior will result in appropriate discipline. Concentrating in three specific areas of proficiency, respect, responsibility and safety, staff members displayed a color-coded board (visible in classrooms and throughout the schools’ common areas), which shows different levels of conduct and corresponding discipline.
Jane McCall, Hilltop principal, informed the RSU 39 board members of the task team, which includes RSU 39 teachers April Belyea, Freeman Corey, Jenna Hartung, Gayle Smart, Todd Albert and Mary McLaughlin, had spent the past few months working on the PBIS program citing that although each classroom has its own management techniques, with these being mostly consistent throughout the building, it was thought that there was no consistency pertaining to rules on the playground or outside of classes.
“Not all levels of behavior problems come to the principal’s office,” said McCall, but children in grades pre-K through grade 2 in our school need this type of consistent structure.” McCall said something as minor as a child skipping in the hallway might be greeted by a smile from one teacher but another might stop the student and say that skipping isn’t proper inside.
“We just want everyone to be on the same page, students and teachers alike, especially at this early age; when these student advance to Teague Park in grades 3 through 5, the same expectations will be in place, avoiding confusion,” said McCall. “By having consistent expectations 80 to 85 percent of our student’s won’t have any consequences, we are using the PBIS as a means of response intervention — it is having intervention in place to help,” she added.
Parents are encouraged to request a copy of the PBIS program for inappropriate school behavior and discipline from their child’s school.
In helping the elementary students grow into being responsible school citizens, individual classroom teachers continue to focus on positive behavior re-enforcement,” McCall said.
Other agenda items included:
• An update on school activities at the Maine School of Science and Math by executive director Luke Shorty.
• A motion made by Clifford Rhone, seconded by Scott Willey to approve Police ADC-R-Tobacco Use and Possession Administrative Procedure, as amended for a second reading passed by a weighted vote of 785 -191 with board members Rhome, Willey, McNeal, Albert and Gordon in favor and Forbes opposed.
• The board also approved a second reading of Policy KI Visitors to the School.
RSU 39 Frank McElwain informed the board members that construction work was nearing completion regarding the building, which will be used to cover the woodchip bin at the Limestone Community School. McElwain also stated that the back-up boiler has been converted from using No. 4 to No. 2 heating oil and is currently in operation. McElwain said that plans are being made for a Nov. 16 Biomass Open House at the Caribou High School/Technology Center.
McElwain informed the panel he had accepted the resignation of Robert Souther, social studies teacher at LCS effective at the end of the 2011-12 school year and Collette Cormier would be the volunteer newspaper adviser at Caribou High School.
The next meeting of the RSU 39 Board of Education will be held tonight at 7 p.m. in the superintendent’s office.
