Longfellow PBIS

February Focus

2012-02-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

The PBIS focus for February is kindness-very appropriate for the month that features Valentine's Day! Being kind to one another is an important part of being respectful. Let's all remember our kind words and deeds, this month and every month.

Teacher Raffle

2012-02-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

PBIS is not just for kids. Teachers and staff can also give one another Bear Necessities to recognize the wonderful things they do. Three times each year a special teacher raffle is held. Winners of the 2011-2012 school year's first teacher raffle were: Mr. Pod, Mr. Sorensen, Mrs. Lorenzi, Mrs. Anthony, Ms. Smith, Ms. Vietzen, Mr. Nabor, Ms. Pearce, and Ms. Leahy. Congratulations to our winners!

Recent Winners Announced

2012-02-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here are PBIS raffle winners from December and January (listed in no particular order): Olivis G., Regan B., Maks P., Sydney P., Philip R., Jaden M., Evan L., Jordan R., Alex M., Iris P., Kathryn M., Michael O., Madeline B., Mateo G., Khanya W., John V., Jessica W., Ayush W., Matthew L., Macy S., Ryan B., Matilda J., Sofia W., Bryan H., Ryan P., Jack B., Avery A., Owenyth S., Kaden G., Diamond F., Garrett L., Maxwell B., John V., Celia Y., Sydney W., Ronin B., Eva S., Sean M., Jack S., A'vion D., Emarjai H., Drew R., Kate K., Lauren F., Dana B., Hazel P., Sophie R., Lily F., Stefan R., Dillan P., Kevin W., Jake B., Nora S., Monica S., Katie G., Sammy H., Ian M., Nolan L., Zoe W., Sophie S., Finn S., Varsha H., Liam F., Chance J., Ellary S., Zoe W., Marquic H., Elanor W., and Amari C. Some of the teacher winners during this time were Ms. LeCrone, Ms., Scheck, Ms. Clarke, and Ms. Mulsoff. Names that are listed twice are not in error, but represent lucky students who won more than one raffle! Congratulations to all of our wonderful, Responsible, Safe, and Respectful students

December Focus

2011-12-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

We have not one focus, but three foci for the month of December! We will be focusing for the first week on Random Acts of Kindness. The other two foci for the month will be celebrating and respecting the diversity of holiday traditions and being peacemakers. Please keep these thoughts in mind as you move forward toward Winter Break and prepare to welcome in a new year!

First Trimester Celebration

2011-12-06T13:28:00.000-08:00

The first trimester of the 2011-2012 school year was a great success. Students and staff came together to celebrate a trimester of Safe, Responsible, Respectful behavior at two different PBIS dances. The first dance hosted our younger students in grades PKP through 2nd grade. Later in the day, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students and staff enjoyed music and dance as they also celebrated a great first trimester.

November Winners Announced

2011-12-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the winners of the Friday PBIS raffles in November: Charity R., Declan H., Sophie B., Claudia G., Zach K., Kate K., Jackson H., Torri P., Jashauni A., and Jackson B. This writer apologizes if there are names missing. Everyone did an awesome job!

November Focus of the Month

2011-11-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

The PBIS focus of the month for November will be Respect in the Classroom. This is an area where the team has noticed some room for improvement. We will be providing tips each day to help students focus on ways that they can demonstrate respect in the classroom. Respect can look different to different people, but there are some basic rules to showing respect that all students can learn to follow. Parents and family members can help with this focus by having conversations with their student on what respect looks like and sounds like and why it is important, not just in the classroom, but everywhere we go! Let's work hard to have a very RESPECTFUL November!

Announcing October Raffle Winners

2011-11-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here are the Friday Raffle winners for the month of October: Stefan R., Maddie R. ,Ryan M., Roemello R., Celia Y., Divine R., Brandon J., Cameron S., Claudia G., Addison H., Ellen G., Awni R., Diego Z., Julian A., Lily F., Beatrice S., Ophelia P., Caroline S., Jazmyn H., Rashad L., Chloe J., Brendan F., Jessica P., Noah L, Hannah K., Anaya D., Lily F., Matt S., Jonathan G., and Kyle R. Ms. Flowers was one of our staff winners. Congratulations on being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe during the month of October!

October PBIS Focus

2011-10-03T13:31:00.001-07:00

Each month the PBIS team would like to focus on one area of our matrix to help remind students of the expectations around the school. This month the focus is on the playground. Announcements will be made each day to remind students of the behavior that we expect on the playground. Families can help support this focus by talking with their students about playground rules and safety and reminding each student that it is important to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe whenever they play on the playground.

Winners Announce for August and September

2011-10-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Each week students may turn in Bear Necessities for a Friday raffle drawing. On Friday, the names of 10 lucky students are announced and those students receive a raffle prize. The winners for August and September were: Isaac K., Jude M., Natalie Q., Alyssa C., Charlotte A., Patrick S., Emma H., Stefen R., Gwen A., Reese G., Ellison T., Trachell P., Katherine W., Julian B., Jaida H., Athena S., Avery A., Megan S., Alex P., Elijah R., Ella H., Jasmine P., August S., Fran K., Danny R., Terrell M., Kaiya L., Daniel T., Natalie S., Mason F., Genesis W., Henry A., Avion D., Hank B., Tyler M., Teigan M., Emme K., Emarjai H., Auri B., Rachel M., Jack T., Collin M., Henry T., Maddie M., Elizabeth O., Sage B., Lauren F., Emma M., and Travaris P. Staffs' names are also chosen from the winning Bear Necessities each week. The first three staff winners were: Mr. Pod, Mr. Weber, and Ms. Wilson. Congratulations to one and all!

New School Year!

2011-09-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to a brand new school year! PBIS is off to a great start for the 2011-2012 school year. We are pleased to welcome Valerie Helm, our new Assistant Principal, as the internal coach of our PBIS team. Please check back frequently for updates and information concerning PBIS as we enter our 4th year of implementation.

Summer Expectations

2011-05-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Please help us ensure students remember and practice the three Longfellow Expectations this summer. Students should remember to Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe at all times. It might be helpful to develop a matrix of your own at home; your matrix could show how to Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe in various areas of your home. To see the school's current matrix for an example you can click on the link under Helpful Links in the right-hand sidebar.

Winners for the Week of May 16

2011-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

The winners of the PBIS raffle for the week of May 16 were Marnie W., Lila S., Maliana D., Lakiya W., Nate Z., Lilah G., Abigail C., Alex M., and Hannah T. The lucky staff winner was Ms. Ivey! Congratulations to of these wonderful Responsible, Safe, and Respectful Longfellow Bears!

Bear's Den Still a Big Draw

2011-05-13T10:27:00.001-07:00

The Bear's Den continues to be a big success. It has reached the point where it runs itself! Students who collect and save enough "Bear Necessities" are able to purchase items once a week from the Bear's Den. These items are donated by staff and community members. For a list of possible items to donate, click on the Wish List on the right.

Winners for the Week of May 2

2011-05-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

Announcing our winners for the week of May 2nd: Athena S., Clayton S., John V., Rowan G., Taya A., Lily F., Lindsey R., Taylor F., Sam S., and Audray K. Our staff winner was Mrs. Jordahl. Congratulations to our Safe, Respectful, Responsible Longfellow Bears for an excellent first week of May!

Recent Winners

2011-05-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Above are several photos of recent weekly winners of the PBIS raffles. These raffles, held each Friday, help to honor and reward students who are "caught" being Responsible, Respectful and Safe during the preceding week. Students receive a Bear Paw, which they are then able to enter into the weekly drawing. 10 names are chosen at random and those ten students are each able to select a prize. Congratulations to the above students and to all of our Respectful, Safe and Responsible Longfellow Bears!

Winners for Week of April 25

2011-04-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

The lucky PBIS raffle winners for the week of April 25th were: Katie W., Mari K., Kevin W., Laila R., Elizabeth O., Madeline B., Sammy S., Brixton E., Maks P., and Dustin E. Our wonderful staff winner was Ms. Divas! Congratulations to all of our Respectful, Responsible, Safe winners. Go Bears!

Thank You Castle Party Rentals!

2011-04-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you Castle Party Rentals (www.CastlePartyRental.com) for helping us with our PBIS Trimester 2 Celebration. Our kids and staff had a blast in the Moonwalk and the Obstacle Course.

Safe, Respectful, Responsible during Week 27

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hot off the presses, here are the winners of week 27's PBIS raffle: Passion W., Franky R., Ada K., Dhanya D., Madeleine N., Isaac K., Elle T., Jason T., Senja P., and Emily M. The lucky staff winner: Ms. Divis! Congratulations to one and all.

2011-04-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

Recognize any of these smiling faces? These are just a few of our staff winners for the second trimester staff PBIS raffle. Congratulations to these wonderful representatives of our Respectful, Responsible and Safe Longfellow staff!

Spring Break Winners

2011-04-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Over Spring Break students had the opportunity to win Bear Necessities from people at home. Students brought in their Bear Necessities and a drawing was held to find 10 Spring Break Winners. Those winners were: Jessica W., Charlotte B., Aniyah E., Victoria E., Julian B., Jordan A., Maria L., Audrey K., Ruthie O., and Mia D. Congratulations, students!

Big Winners for Week 26

2011-04-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

The week 26 winners of the PBIS raffle were: Divine R., Nevaeh A., Noahm L., Allen D., Jazmyn H., Jakob S., Luke A., Talvin G., Kaden H., and Cordelia S. Congratulations to our wonderful students and to our staff winner--Nurse Angie!

Second Trimester Celebration

2011-04-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Longfellow Bears had a fun, new PE experience as our second trimester PBIS celebration. To congratulate all of our Respectful, Safe and Responsible students (and staff!) we enjoyed a Bounce House and Inflatable Obstacle Course during PE and, for the staff, as a part of our staff meeting. A great time was had by all!

Week 24 Winners Announced

2011-03-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Winners for week 24 were announced during Friday's PBIS raffle. The lucky students were: Lyla S., Genesis W., Promise A., Zach Z., Isabel K., Katie W., Laila R., Dakari A., Cuylen B., and Andrew H. The staff winner was Ms. Wieczorek. Congratulations to all of our Safe, Responsible, Respectful Longfellow Bears!

New Home Cool Tool Added

2011-03-08T16:51:00.001-08:00

With Spring in the air, but Winter not quite behind us, dressing appropriately for the weather can be a challenge. Go to the Home and Community Cool Tool page to view a newly added cool tool: Dressing for the Weather. This cool tool can help you talk to your student about being Responsible and dressing in a way that keeps him or her Safe from the elements.

Winners for the 23rd Week of School

2011-03-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

For the 23rd time this year 10 winners were drawn for the PBIS raffle. The winners for the 23rd week were: Nathan U., Rachel M., Jack B., Kassandra C., Liam F., Audry C., Brixton E., Vivian B., Maks P., and Reed F. The teacher winner for the week was 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Creticos. Congratulations to everyone!

The Envelope Please...

2011-02-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

...and the winners for most Respectful, Responsible and Safe students in the 22nd week of school are...Jaden M., Gabrielle I., Luna M., Ryan A., Peter E., Hank B., Grace W., T'Jada F., Mia D., and Janae H. And in the teacher category, the winner was...Mr. Naber! Congratulations to all of our PBIS stars!

Winners for Week 21!

2011-02-24T05:47:00.000-08:00

Winners for week 21 were announced during a rousing PBIS raffle on Friday. The winners were: Abbe R., Elizabeth O., Richie B., Alex P., Grey E., Abigail C., Sydney O., Joshua B., Senja P., and Elena H. Congratulations, winners!

Spotlight on PBIS

2011-02-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can refer to pbis.org for any questions regarding Positive Behaviors Interventions and Supports? Just click on the link to the right for the National PBIS Website. There are also other helpful links for you to explore!

Announing Week 20 Winners

2011-02-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

Week 20 ushered in another group of Responsible, Respectful and Safe students. The winners of the PBIS raffle were: Paige B., Genesis W., Taylor M., Athena S., Asha I., Jaylen D., Rachel M., Olyvea Y., Trachell P., Taylor M. And the staff winner was our own Mrs. Scaro!

Late Announcement of Week 17 and 18 Winners

2011-02-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

At long last, here are the winners of the PBIS Raffle for weeks 17 and 18! For Week 17 the winners were: Andre M., Abbe R., Tobias H., Jane H., Anthony C., Kassidi L., Olyvea Y., Lucy K., Tori E., and Michael O. The staff winner was Ms. Mulsoff. For Week 18 the winners were: Arianna C., Zach Z., Nyla A., Gregory H., Rowan E., Myles T., Nina B., Azmer K., Brixton E., and Kavi B. The staff winner was Ms. Ivey. Congratulations, winners!

Winners Announced for Week 16

2011-01-19T17:28:00.002-08:00

Our wonderful student winners for week 16 were: Ben K., Katie W., Matylda J., Asha I., Taylor M., Spencer A., Kassandra C., Tori E., Nyla A., and Anton S. In order to have their names entered into the raffle, these students had to show that they were Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. Congratulations on meeting the Longfellow expectations! And congratulations to Mrs. Lorenzi, who was our staff winner.

Week 15 Winners

2011-01-19T17:28:00.001-08:00

The winners for the week of January 3rd were announced on Friday. The winners were Grey E., Jordan A., Thomas S., Mirabella V., Dhanya D., Elizabeth O., Lucy K., Sophie B., Gwen A., and Taylor R. The lucky staff winner was Ms. Smith. Congratulations to all of our Safe, Respectful, Responsible students as we move into a wonderful new year.

Staff Winners Announced

2011-01-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

Every trimester, Longfellow staff members, who also work hard to be Safe, Responsible and Respectful, are entered in a special staff raffle. The winners for the first trimester were: Miss Ibarra, Mr. Nabor, Miss Ivey, Mrs. Creticos, Ms. Wiese, Miss Smith, Ms. Divas, Mr. Pod, and Mr. LeDeaux. Congratulations, staff! Keep up the great work!

Week 14 Winners

2011-01-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

The following students were winners of the 14th 2010-1011 Longfellow PBIS raffle: Freddy K., DeAndre D., Samuel P., Daniel B., Taylor R., Molly C., Emarja H., Mason F., Nyla A., and Tyler D. Mrs. Flowers was the lucky staff winner. Way to go, Bears!

Lucky Week 13 Winners Announced

2010-12-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

The wonderful students who won the PBIS raffle during lucky week 13 were: Grace G., Margaret B., Divine R., Tyler B., Chloe J., Abbe R., Eleanor W., Maria L., Elle T., and Sofie G. The lucky teacher winner was Ms. Clarke. Congratulations everyone!

New Cool Tool Added

2010-11-30T16:50:00.000-08:00

A new cool tool, dealing with using kind, appropriate words, as been added to the "Cool Tools for Home and Community" page. To view this cool tool, click on the link in the right hand side bar to navigate to our cool tools page.

First Trimester Celebration

2010-11-30T16:31:00.000-08:00

The first trimester ended with a joyful celebration of Safe, Responsible, Respectful behavior. Thanks go out to Ms. Marinelarena and Ms. Prescott for providing the music and to Ms. Wiese for helping with the setup. Thanks to Ms. Patterson for the use of the gym and to all of the teachers and staff who help our students each day as they work to exemplify the Longfellow Bear Necessities. Thanks also to Sam and the entire PBIS team for their hard work. Finally, the biggest thanks go out to our wonderful students! Great job, Longfellow Bears!

Week 12 Winners

2010-11-30T16:27:00.001-08:00

The raffle winners for the 12th week of school were recently announced. They were: Nate J., Nour S., Gary E., Sophie B., Maliana D., Vivian B., Anton S., Genesis W., Sydney L., and Gwen A. The lucky teacher winner was Ms. Prescott. Congratulations one and all!

Week 11 Brings 10 New Winners!

2010-11-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Desmond F., Mia C., Kevin W., Jazmyn H., Noa A., Kassandra D., Gwen S., Sadie H., Lucy K., and Tyler B. All of these fabulous students won raffle prizes on Friday for being Safe, Responsible, and Respectful. Good job!

Announcing the Winners of PBIS Week 10 Raffle!

2010-11-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

Last week's winners were Dakota P., Emma H., Jake B., D'mauri J., Paige B., Tamryn B., Joslyn K., Sofia W. Leo S., and Aniya. A big shout out to our lucky and Responsible, Respectful, Safe student winners. A congratulatory "silent hello" to our staff winner: Mrs. Parr.

New Cool Tool Added

2010-11-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

A brand new Home Cool Tool has been added to our blog. Click on Cool Tools for Home and Community on the right-hand side to see a cool tool on social skills at the dining table. Scroll down the Home Cool Tools page to view links to other great Home Cool Tools.

Last Raffle Winners for October Announced

2010-11-01T16:56:00.000-07:00

The last PBIS raffle for October was held on Thursday. The following students were lucky winners of a PBIS raffle prize: Tilly M., Jack T., Jacob B., Darion W., Emmanuel H. Austin B., Terrell M., Tyler M., Greta K., and Dannya D. Our staff winner for week 9 was Mr. Pod. Congratulations to one and all!

Presenting the Week 8 Raffle Winners

2010-10-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

After another wonderful week at Longfellow School, the week 8 raffle winners were announced. The winners were: Maura S., Monica S., Myles T., Lela S., Jordan A., Jonathan G., Olivia G., Sydney O., Rhea R., and Rachel M. Keep up the Respectful, Safe, Responsible behaviors, Bears! You rock!

Week 7 Raffle Winners

2010-10-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

The winners of the PBIS raffle for week 7 were: Max T., Meghan S., Sage M., Olivia E., Ayush W., Michael D., Tegan M., Ariel H., Asha I., and Jessica P. Congratulations to our lucky winners. Keep up the Safe, Respectful, Responsible behavior, Longfellow students!

Bear’s Den: Open for Business

2010-10-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

With a few tweaks each week, the Bear's Den has opened for business and is a hit! Students in 4th and 5th grade are able to save up their "Bear Necessities" to purchase items in the new school store. A recently arrived display case houses the store items and allows to students to browse during the week so that they arrive on Friday ready to buy. Prices have varied, but are currently set at 25 Bear Necessities for most items.

Week 6 Winners Announced

2010-10-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

The lucky winners of the week 6 PBIS raffle were: Ahsha S, Emily M, Collin M, Luca S, Ethan F, Kaniya K, Bella V, Emma O, Joshua B, Taylor F. and staff winner Mr. Pod!

PBIS Progress and Data

2010-09-28T13:27:00.002-07:00

Our Longfellow community has continued its perseverance of Responsibility, Respect, and Safety. Our Office Discipline Referrals (ODR’s)---which are major infractions of our Responsible, Respectful, and Safe expectations---are down 48%! To date, we have 11 ODR’s, compared to 21 ODR’s during this same time period last year. In response to data and surveys (taken by staff and students) last year, we have focused attention on the 11:00-12:00 lunch hour. We have implemented some new strategies which have resulted in a 92% decrease in ODR’s during the 11:00-12:00 lunch hour. We have 1 ODR from the lunch hour this year, compared to 12 from the lunch hour at this point last year.
Our current success is due to many factors, including our students’ continued increased pride in and accountability for their actions, proactive and positive interaction with our students by staff, and your support at home. One way you can be supportive at home is to use Responsibility, Respect, and Safety as everyday vocabulary. Also, talk with your children about their Bear Necessities/Gotchas/Zip Slips (same thing, different names). Students earn these when “caught” being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. Our K-3 students can turn their Bear Necessities in to the raffle box in the office every Friday. Then, at the end of the day Friday, we randomly draw 10 names from the raffle box and those winners get to come to the office and choose a prize. They also have their picture taken as a group, which is posted across from the office, as well as on the PBIS blog on our website. 4th and 5th grade students have the option of turning their Bear Necessities in to the raffle box, or saving them to “purchase” items from the Bear’s Den. The Bear’s Den is a “store” of prizes with varying Bear Necessity prices. For example, a mini football costs 30 Bear Necessities, 40 for books, 50 for a Homework Pass coupon, and an OPRF hooded sweatshirt for 150. If you would like to donate to the Bear’s Den to help us keep it stocked for our children, check the “Wish List” on the right hand sidebar for ideas and send to the office marked “PBIS donation”. Feel free to send ideas not on the list; however, please no food or candy.
Thank you for your support as we strive to be a Responsible, Respectful, and Safe community!

Weekly Raffles Continue

2010-09-28T13:27:00.001-07:00

Our weekly Friday drawing has continued. Week 4 winners were Andrew H., Luke A., Kelan S., Jeremiah W., Elizabeth O., Laila R., Claudia G., Rodney M., Oliver V., and Caleb J. Week 5 winners were Malik P., Lucas S., Kourtney L., Jaida H., Jonah C., Jaya A., Iyanna A., Ewan M., Lyla S., and Tegan D.

Bear’s Den

2010-09-28T13:26:00.001-07:00

4th and 5th grade students had their first opportunity to purchase items from the Bear’s Den on Friday, September 17. The minimum purchase was 5 Bear Necessities. On Friday, September 24, students had a second opportunity to purchase. That time the minimum purchase was 35 Bear Necessities. As our supplies and inventory stock fluctuates, so will our minimum purchase price. So, be sure your child is being Responsible, Respectful, and Safe, and saving those Bear Necessities!
If you would like to donate to the Bear’s Den to help upgrade or replenish our inventory (our budget can only support a limited amount), check the item “Wish List” on the right hand sidebar. Send your donation to the office marked “PBIS Donation”. Feel free to donate ideas not on the “Wish List”; however, please no food or candy.

New Cool Tool Added

2010-09-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

A new cool tool on asking permission has been added to the Cool Tools for Home and Community Page.

Bears' Den to Open Soon

2010-09-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday fourth and fifth grade students got a chance to preview some of the items that will be for sale in the Bear's Den when it opens later this week. Currently laid out on tables, the store will soon be permanently housed in a glass case on the third floor. Students will be able to save up their Bear Necessities to purchase items such as small toys, school supplies, even homework passes. Items that sell out will be replenished and new items added frequently. Any community members with items to donate to the Bear's Den, please feel free to contact any member of the PBIS team. We would welcome your support.

Week 3 Raffle Winners Announced

2010-09-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Longfellow students continue to be Respectful, Responsible, and Safe each day. Please join us in congratulating the winners of the PBIS raffle for week 3: Passion W., Clayton S., Jaden M., Amaria B., DeAndre D., Avion D., Katy G., Ryan B., Andre M., and Marquis H. Also, a big congratulations to Seniorita M., our staff winner. Keep working hard students!

Congratulations to Weeks 1 and 2 Raffle Winners!

2010-09-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

The PBIS Raffles have begun and we already have 20 super student winners and two terrific teacher winners.

For week one the student winners were: Ruby H., Lev W., Rickey R., Jaylen D., Reese G., Annelise D., Cole W., Lucy W., Lars V., and Mick S. Our teacher winner for week 1 was 4th grade teacher, Ms. Sullivan. Yeah week one winners! Thanks for being Respectful, Responsible and Safe.

Week two was another great week at Longfellow. Our student winners for week 2 were: Caroline S., Mia R., Grace G., Duncan G., Charlotte B., Ruby W., Lilly F., Spencer A., and Brady S. 5th grade teacher Ms. Schroeder was our teacher winner. Thanks for following the Bear Necessities!

Bear's Den-Coming Soon!

2010-09-06T17:47:00.000-07:00

Attention all fourth and fifth graders! Are you getting tired of the prizes offered during the weekly raffle? Do you wish that there were a sure-fire way to be sure you get a prize? Are you good at budgeting and saving? Well, the Bear's Den may be just the ticket! Beginning on Friday, September 10th a new school store will be open to fourth and fifth graders. You now have a choice of what to do with those cherished Bear Paw Gotchas. You can either drop them in the raffle box as always, or you can save them up to buy cool prizes at the Bear's Den. Or, if you want the best of both worlds, drop a few in the raffle box and save up the rest! Watch this spot for information on what prizes will be available. Remember, the more Respectful, Responsible and Safe you are, the more likely you are to be handed a coveted Bear Paw Gotcha!

Welcome Back Students, Staff and Families!

2010-08-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to an exciting new school year and a new and improved PBIS blog! The PBIS team has already begun working together to plan for a Safe, Respectful, and Responsible 2010-2011 school year. We have wonderful celebrations, prizes and cool tools planned to help us keep moving forward. Our school has once again been named a Star School by the state PBIS organization. We take great pride in the successes we have achieved in our first two years as a PBIS school and are looking toward the coming school year with high expectations and a strong drive to continue becoming the best school community that we can be. Please visit the blog often for pictures, updates, testimonials and cool tools that you can use at home. Thank you for your continued support.

Station B.E.A.R. Premiere

2010-03-07T16:11:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, March 4th, the PBIS documentary entitled Station B.E.A.R. premiered to groups of Longfellow students and staff. The film was created by the Longfellow PBIS team with the assistance of staff and students. A special thanks goes to John Perryman for his filming, editing and direction. Other involved in the project included Jeff Weber, Canika Prescott, Ryan Winchell, Scott Nabor, Ne'Woka Scott, Erick Podlasek and Cat Clarke. An extra special thanks to principal Angela Dolezal and to all of students who took time out to be filmed and interviewed. Thanks also to the teachers who supported the project by releasing students to participate. Thank you also to Pam Weise, Canika Prescott, Amy Hopp and Eduardo Martinez for their assistance with set up, popcorn and clean up.
The DVD was created as a fun, efficient way to provide boosters throughout the year to remind students of the "Bear Necessities" at Longfellow. These are the universal expectations that all students are asked to meet: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Safe. The students viewing the premiere performance were attentive and enthusiastic. Everyone enjoyed watching the staff and students as they reminded us of the "Bear Necessities" and followed Bear Necessity himself around the Longfellow campus. Bear Necessity is a life-sized stuffed bear sporting a Longfellow t-shirt. He normally makes his home in Miss Schroeder's 5th grade classroom.

Overheard on the Playground

2009-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

A teacher was accidentally hit in the head with a ball. She overhead this whispered conversation: "Remember to ask her if she's okay!" The student politely asked her if she was okay. "Remember to say you're sorry!" The student apologized, sincerely. Wasn't that a wonderful example of learning the respectful, responsible thing to do and helping one another put it into action?

New Cool Tool for Playing with Peers

2009-04-29T14:58:00.001-07:00

As the weather warms and our students spend more time outside, playing with friends conflicts can arise. Check out the new cool tool on Playing with Peers. Just click on the link to the right to download the file. Happy Spring!

Computer Use Cool Tool

2009-04-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

We are highlighting Internet safety and general computer safety with our new at-home Cool Tool. Check out the Computer Use cool tool under the Cool Tool Spotlight links on the right hand side of the page.

Best Effort Cool Tool

2009-02-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

With ISATs coming up in only a week, it's time for a new "at home" cool tool. Check out the latest cool tool on helping your student learn to make their best effort. And remember, during ISAT week students should get plenty of rest and eat a healthy breakfast every morning!

Bathroom Cleanliness is the Latest Cool Tool

2008-12-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

Click on the link at the right to find the latest cool tool for use at home. This time we are focusing on cleanliness and hygiene in the bathroom. This is an issue that we focus on at school as well, so students should be expected to meet the same standards at home.

Cool Tool Spotlights

2008-11-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

This week's Cool Tool Spotlight is about bathroom privacy. Often an issue, especially with younger children, this cool tool discusses respecting oneself and others by maintaining privacy when using the bathroom. The skill includes the need to be respectful by not, for example, yelling outside the bathroom door as well as by not walking into an occupied bathroom. While these seem like obvious skills to an adult, for an uninhibited youngster, these are skills that may need to be more directly addressed.

This Week's Spotlight

2008-10-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the the theme of automobile safety, this latest "Cool Tool" discusses how to introduce and reinforce the wearing of seat belts when traveling in a vehicle. Please click on the link to the right under Cool Tool Spotlights to access this home lesson plan.

Cool Tool Spotlights

2008-09-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Cool Tools are what we call the lesson plans that we use at school to teach students the expectations that we have for them in order to maintain a safe, responsible, respectful community. The great thing about these expectations-and about Cool Tools-is that they can also be used to help your student understand behavioral expectations at home. In order to provide you with some help in doing that, and to reinforce the way we teach these expectations at school, the Longfellow PBIS team will spotlight a new Cool Tool for use at home every couple of weeks on this blog. Simply look at the column on the right for the Cool Tool Spotlight and click on the link for the Cool Tool you would like to see. These are PDF documents and can be printed for your use. The first Cool Tool Spotlight is a lesson plan for appropriate behavior when riding in an automobile.

PBIS

2008-09-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

What is PBIS?

PBIS is the acronym for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. It is a positive behavior management initiative being rolled out at Longfellow Elementary, as well as other district schools, as part of the District 97 Strategic Plan. A formal definition states that:
School-wide PBIS is the integration of

• Operationally defined and valued outcomes,
• Behavioral and biomedical science,
• Research validated practices, and
• Systems change.

The goal is to prevent the development and the escalation of problem behaviors and thus maximize the academic success of all of our students.

PBIS is a proactive, systems approach to providing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for each of our students to achieve behavioral, social and academic success.

PBIS involves setting school-wide behavioral expectations. At Longfellow Elementary, those expectations (the “Bear Necessities”) are to:

• Be Respectful
• Be Responsible
• Be Safe

Once behavioral expectations are set, we teach those expectations to students in a variety of setting and situations throughout the school. We have begun and are continuing to develop a continuum of consequences both for meeting and for violating those expectations. Our emphasis is on acknowledging appropriate behavior and celebrating positive growth in individuals and as a school community. Fundamental to PBIS is the recording and ongoing use of data for decision-making.

How do states, districts and schools implement PBIS?

Illinois has a strong commitment to PBIS and provides training, technical assistance and evaluation support to districts interested in implementing PBIS. For more information about PBIS at the state level, visit: www.pbisillinois.org.

At District 97, we have a district or external coach who assists with the overall implementation of PBIS including training and funding.

At Longfellow Elementary, we have an Internal Coach and a PBIS Team. We work together to help train staff members and plan for all of the components of PBIS to be put into place. We monitor the data and use it to help in the planning process.

What are the outcomes associated with PBIS?

• Decrease in office discipline referrals
• Increase in instructional time
• Decrease in administrator time spent on discipline issues
• Efficient and effective use of resources
• Increase in school safety
• Sustainability through the use of a team approach

Perhaps most importantly, PBIS supports the Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards, which include the following three goals:

Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.
Goal 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.
Goal 3: Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

PBIS is currently being used in over 30 states and the District of Columbia. It has solid research that supports the positive outcomes associated with its implementation.