By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Board of Education last week recognized the generosity of the community and the goodness of students and staff.
For the third month in a row, local residents, businesses and organizations broke previous records with their donations to the school district – totaling $22,028 last month.
“This is a testament of the support from the community,” Superintendent Francis Scruci said. “We need to focus on these positives.”
Donations were accepted for the following expenses:
- Student lunch debt
- After prom
- 1BookBG
- Choral trip to New York City
- Crim fifth grade camp
- BG choirs
- Memorial for Panksepp, Quinn, Sanders and Wolf
- Bobcat-a-thon, Key Club
- Kenwood fifth grade camp
- Softball
- Bowling
- Clothing for middle school Bobcat Basics
- Snacks for students
- School supplies
- Mat board for high school art
- New athletic league banners
“We cannot thank these people enough,” Scruci said of all the donors.
The board also heard about the efforts by school staff to acknowledge good behaviors of students – and the positive responses of students to that recognition.
The Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support program was outlined by middle school and high school leaders Amanda McBride, Ashley Schmeltz and Heather Fallis. The program creates a culture of positive and consistent expectations for students. Staff model the expected behaviors and reward students with positive reinforcement when they meet expectations.
The PBIS program is also used in the elementaries, with a report already presented to the board about that level.
The results of the PBIS programs are reportedly calmer buildings, with fewer distractions for students and less referrals to the school offices. The programs also strengthen the relationships between parents and teachers, with the emphasis on positives rather than negatives.
The program is a success because it acknowledges good behaviors right as they occur.
“We are rewarding them immediately,” McBride said.
The rewards come in the form of candy or fidgets from a pop-up cart in the lunchroom – or chances at monthly raffles for open skate passes, prom tickets or monthly pizza parties. They can “cash in” their points for snacks, Gatorade, school supplies, charms for crocs, and ice cream parties.
Students can save up points to earn airpods, gift cards to places like Taco Bell, tickets to BGSU sporting events, and a chance to participate in teacher versus student dodgeball competitions.
Also meaningful to students are the hand-written notes to them from teachers and staff recognizing good behaviors – including helping other students.
Data collection is used to identify problem areas, such as tardiness to classes. The program recognizes that while students may have no control over when they arrive at school, they can control when they get to their classrooms throughout the day.
Through PBIS, students are rewarded for showing up to class on time – resulting in a steep reduction in tardiness, Fallis said.
“If you are in class on time, you are learning and not being disruptive,” she said.
The program also gives students a chance to start each week with a clean slate.
The board also heard from Melanie Ferguson, an eighth grade science teacher and BG Schools Foundation representative, about plans being made for the solar eclipse to be visible in this region on April 8, 2024.
Ferguson said eclipse glasses will be provided to all Bowling Green City School students and staff, so they can all safely view the eclipse.
In other business at last week’s meeting:
- Scruci talked about the public forum recently held by the League of Women Voters in Bowling Green about school vouchers. Scruci said he was headed to Columbus this week for a legislative conference, where the issue would be addressed.
- Lee Hakel, of the LWV, said a video of the forum on the unbalanced funding for public versus private schools, will soon be available for viewing at lwvbg.org.
- The board established a Bowling Green Firefighters Community Benefit Scholarship Fund, with two $500 scholarships for students who choose career paths in fire services or EMS.
