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R.O.A.R. A Ticket to Success

Jesse Osbourne/Highlands Today

First-grader Gabrielle Sutton browsed the stuffed animal collection at the R.O.A.R. store Monday afternoon and pondered what to spend her 14 R.O.A.R. tickets on.

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By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: October 9, 2007

By MARC VALEROmvalero@highlandstoday.com
SEBRING — Fred Wild Elementary second-grader Brittney Austin stopped by the school's R.O.A.R. Store on Monday with the six R.O.A.R. tickets in hand she received for good behavior.

School officials at Fred Wild Elementary and three other district schools are looking to the Positive Behavior Support program this year with hopes of improving student conduct.

Park Elementary was first to implement the program in 2003-04 with Sebring Middle following in 2005-06. Fred Wild and Avon Park Middle started the program this year.

Austin said she received a R.O.A.R. ticket in the lunchroom and another ticket in her classroom for being first to follow her teacher's directions. Students can use the tickets to get items in the R.O.A.R. Store, which is open for about one hour on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Fred Wild Elementary's positive behavior support program focuses on four basic expectations, which should be easy for students to remember with the acronym R.O.A.R. for the sound of the school's wildcat mascot: R - respect others, O – obey rules, A – act responsibly and R – ready to learn.

District behavior specialist Melissa Blackman said the programs at Park Elementary and Sebring Middle schools have been working.

"We have seen a decrease in the number of office discipline referrals," she said. "Teachers on campus report a change in climate – a more positive school climate."

Fred Wild Elementary Assistant Principal Harvey Wilder said it's too early to assess the program at his school, but later in the school year, comparisons with last year's referrals will be used to evaluate the program's effectiveness.

Teachers at Fred Wild Elementary are encouraged to give out 20 to 30 tickets a week. Students who are patient and save up their tickets can redeem them for some nifty items like binoculars (40 tickets) and a cassette/compact disc boom box (90 tickets).

The school's Parent Teacher Organization provided funds to purchase items for the store.

The McTeacher night at McDonalds last week, a fundraiser for the program, was very successful, Wilder said.

Also, a particular classroom is recognized for good behavior each Friday by being seated for lunch on the stage in the "Cool Cat Cafe."

The cafe features table cloths, cat pictures, flowers and a special dessert. Wilder, guidance counselor Julie Lowe, and sometimes Principal Ruby Handley help serve the lunch to make it a special occasion for students.

"It's developed a good school climate for every one – students and teachers," Wilder said. "you can notice that right away."

Blackman said at the middle school level the good-behavior tickets allows students to participate in social activities.

Woodlawn Elementary School started a similar program this year called Give 'Em a Hand.

Students who receive good-behavior tickets are eligible for a weekly drawing in each classroom on Friday. The winners receive a certificate in the school's main office and a novelty hand clapper.

Grade-level winners will be chosen from the classroom winners for additional recognition.

"We are trying to promote this and get more children involved," said Bonnie Brown, Woodlawn Elementary's dean of students/guidance support. "We are just trying to get more children to respect each other."

Teacher participation is not mandatory, but the goal is 100 percent participation, she said. Hopefully the climate and atmosphere of the school in general will improve.

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