GREENVILLE – Due to the good behavior of 470 Greenville City Schools kindergarten-second-graders, an ice cream party was donated to them by Dairy King.
Stephanie Baumgardner part owner of Dairy King, in Greenville, was on hand to distribute the 470 sundaes to the students. She said Dairy King reached out to the school to ask if the business could donate ice cream for good behavior. Baumgardner is a third-grade Title teacher at Tri-Village. She said she enjoys kids and knows the value of having incentives to promote good choices.
“We are locally owned, we live in the community, our kids go to Greenville schools and we really want to support the local community and the kids,” Baumgardner said. “We enjoy helping out in different ways.”
Greenville Elementary School Counselor Katy Copas said the ice cream party was part of the school’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program. PBIS is a framework designed to teach students appropriate school behaviors and increases academic outcomes, she said. According to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), a PBIS school has a broad based consensus among its staff, as to the value of the framework and a commitment to sustain the framework over time. A cornerstone of PBIS schools is their consistency in maintaining and supporting behavioral expectations for students throughout the school environment. This requires a consistency in adult behaviors and values. Administrative consistency and leadership is fundamental to PBIS implementation for students, parents and staff, according to the ODE. While there are monthly and weekly PBIS goals, the ice cream party took a two-month commitment.
“Instead of managing behavior through negative consequences, we try to put in some positive ones when the students do the right thing,” Copas said.
Each class does things a little differently, but most of the teachers have the students earn letters when they have good behavior, Copas said.
“The majority of the kids were able to earn it – they are motivated,” she said.
Meredith Hunt is a second-grader in Tara Ford’s class. She explained how she and some of her classmates earned their sundaes.
“We picked up the floor and had to be quiet and listen to our teacher,” she said. “Our teacher keeps track on a paper sheet.”
Greenville Elementary Principal Jody Harter walked through the ice cream party, congratulating the students for their good behavior. She said, through PBIS, the school educators teach the students to do the right thing and to be good friends.
“Positive reinforcement research says it is better than consequences all the time,” Harter said. “We are blessed by Dairy King to donate this to us. The kids are excited and they really worked hard to make good decisions to earn their ice cream party. It feels good whenever I get the opportunity to praise them, give them a high-five and remind them they are doing good things.”
“We would like to thank Dairy King publicly for the donation of more than 470 ice cream sundaes,” Copas said.
“I hope all of the students have a Merry Christmas and continue with a great year to make good choices,” Baumgardner said. “Come visit us at the Dairy King. We are open all year long.”
