Chieftain Pride Lab boosted by receipt of 21st Century Grant
Bellefontaine Middle School and Bellefontaine Elementary School recently earned state recognition for their PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports) programs, officials reported at the Monday evening board of education meeting.
Both buildings earned the Bronze PBIS Award, with Bellefontaine Middle School Assistant Principal Gavin Yoder noting that they are working toward the requirements for silver or gold awards in the future.
“This will involve more family and community engagement, a task that previously was hampered by the pandemic. We’re looking forward to working toward those goals and getting our families more involved.”
The BMS assistant principal said the school launched a PBIS program in 2015-16. There were 1,073 referrals to his office that school year, the number of referrals dropped to 538 the following year.
Bellefontaine High School Assistant Principal Cliff Core also presented on the PBIS program for the district, noting that four behavioral expectations have recently been established for students from all grade levels — Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner, and Be a Chieftain.
Core explained that PBIS helps to increase student understanding of procedures and routines in the classroom and in their school day.
“It encourages a proactive approach, instead of a discipline-focused, reactive approach. There is a focus on what you want the students to do in positively-stated expectations.”
At the high school, Core said that a new PBIS awards dashboard has been helpful for staff and students alike to help to track behavior and activity during the week.
Also during the meeting, BHS Principal Jason Brown provided an overview of the Chieftain Pride Lab (formerly the Success Center), which is benefitting from a new grant awarded to BHS.
Last month, the school received a five-year 21st Century Grant, which has a combined maximum value of $850,000.
The money from the grant allows for the school to pay for teachers to instruct beyond traditional school hours.
Some students attend before or after regular school hours to meet their needs.
Academic enrichment, credit recovery, career exploration and job shadowing all are available through the Chieftain Pride Lab.
Brown said the lab is a multi-tiered support system, broken down into three levels: with level one being in- classroom intervention; level two involving classroom work and also time spent in the library lab to work on specific subjects; and level three, involving academic work focused in the library lab and one-on-one assistance there, with a possible altered schedule to suit students’ needs.
“School becomes a place of growth instead of a place of obstacles,” the BHS principal said, noting a parent who he spoken to that day regarding her son thriving with the new opportunities — being able to work in the mornings and attending school in the afternoon.
The Chieftain Pride Lab also includes a mental health component, monthly parent meetings and 100 hours of summer programming.
Also during the building and grounds update, Director of Administrative Services Roger Ely reported the new high school chiller was installed and operational before classes started Sept. 6.
During the hearing of visitors, several parents presented their concerns relating to transportation of their students, with their bus stop location changing this school year.
Each of the families who spoke employ Sandy Achor to watch their children before or after school. They said the school bus used to stop by her south Springhill Street residence, but now the bus stop has been moved to west Auburn Avenue and Troy Road in an area without sidewalks and with heavy vehicle traffic.
Achor, who also attended the meeting, stated she worries greatly about the safety of the school-age children and also the younger children who must accompany her to the bus stop before and after school. District officials stated that they would take a look at the issue this week.
In other action the board:
• accepted the resignations of these employees: Shannon Maier, attendance officer aide, effective Sept. 30; and Jack Lane, bus driver, effective Aug. 12;
• approved a one-year contract for Megan Sechrest, educational aide, effective Sept. 6;
• extended supplemental contracts to: Krista Belser, middle school yearbook adviser; Morgan Fultz, high school weight room coordinator in the fall, winter, and spring; Brice Henry, high school drama club adviser; Brian Rohrig, high school Quiz Bowl adviser; Tyler Sheeley, assistant seventh-grade football; Marcus St. Clair, assistant eighth-grade football assistant; Dustin Van Buskirk, robotics; Stacey Wilson, assistant cross country;
• approved the following salary adjustments for additional training to: bachelor’s plus 18 — Ciara Irick, Brian Timpe, Josh Wallace, Skylar Mifsud; master’s plus nine — Meagan Young, Kevin Cordell, Jill Roode; master’s plus 18 — Lauren Burkhardt, Galen Miller, Jean Minnick; master’s plus 30 — Tricia Baker, Brianne Hughes; master’s plus 45 — Catherine Eastman, Keith Pettit; Desnee Wolters; and
• recognized September seniors of the month Carter Snapp and Joslyn Robinson.
The next board meeting is 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in the BHS Distance Learning Center.