Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
PBIS is a joint effort between Milwaukee Public Schools Office of Family Services and the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association to effectively reduce classroom disruptions and student suspensions through a school-wide systematic tiered-intervention approach. Data shows that schools that implement PBIS with fidelity see decreases in disruptions and suspensions and increases in student achievement.
Check out what it means to be POSITIVELY HAWLEY.
Hawley’s Peaceful Learning Classroom
Hawley’s PLC program is starting its third year as a school-wide initiative. As part of this program, all students learn simple but effective mindfulness techniques that they can use to calm down, reduce stress, focus and regulate their emotions. These techniques require only a minute or so. A 16 session mindfulness program is offered to classrooms in order to teach these techniques in more depth. Fifth grade students have an opportunity to become Yoga Leaders as part of the PLC program. They can become announcers, mentors or classroom PLC leaders. Twice a day, Hawley’s Mindful Minute Announcers lead the entire school in one of the techniques using the PA system. During the afternoon’s school-wide announcements, Mindful Minute Classroom Mentors go into every class and lead the children in the mindful techniques. Hawley’s S.W.A.T (School-wide Attitude Transformers) team members work one on one with younger students, nominated by teachers, who could benefit from more intensive work with yoga and mindfulness. As part of the program, Hawley has a special room designated as a Peace Garden and Training Center at Hawley. This room provides a calm space where students can learn and practice these techniques and where the S.W.A.T. team members work with younger children.
Positively Hawley
Attendance!
Each classroom has a “Positively Hawley” Attendance chart. The object of the challenge is to spell out the words POSITIVELY HAWLEY, earning a green ticket to be placed under each letter when the classroom has 100% of the students present. At completion of spelling POSITIVELY HAWLEY, the classroom is rewarded with a pre-determined prize decided upon by the classroom teacher.
On a monthly basis, students in each classroom who have perfect attendance for that month get their picture taken and posted outside their classroom door for all to see!
Hawley students are POSITIVELY HAWLEY when they are in school EVERYDAY!!!!
Hawley Spirit Days
Periodically, students and staff have the opportunity to have some fun and dress up! Some of the themes of spirit days include: Red, White and Blue Day; Crazy Hat/Hair Day; Crazy Sock/Slipper Day; and Hawaiian Dress Day. Parents can find out when spirit days are coming by looking at the monthly school calendar that is sent home.
Resourceful Readers
Students in Grades 1-5 keep track of how much they read at home. Students log the time they spend reading on a Resourceful Readers chart that must be signed by a parent and returned to the student’s classroom teacher by the designated due date. Students in different grades are required to read for different amounts of time. Students who reach the milestones of 500-1000 minutes are recognized by having their name read on the schoolwide announcement system.
Student Council
Students in Grades 3-5 have an opportunity to serve on the Hawley Student Council. Council members meet monthly during the school day to work on various school and service learning projects.
Environmental Classroom Representatives
Each classroom has an “EE Rep”. They work on school wide projects that promote environmentalism around our school.
Greenhouse Caretakers
Each classroom has a greenhouse caretaker. That student waters all the plants that thier classroom is growing in our school greenhouse.
Read to Succeed Program
The Read to Succeed Program, sponsored by Six Flags and Weekly Reader, motivates students to read and rewards them with a free Six Flags admission coupon. This program takes place in the spring. Students need to read for a total of six hours during a designated two-month period. Students and their families must fill out and return the reading log to their classroom teacher in order to receive their ticket at the end of school year.
Hawley Family Nights
Hawley hosts a Fall Family Night and a Science Family Night during the school year. These events are great opportunities for families to do hands-on activities with one another. During family nights, dinner is served, door prizes are given and parent meetings are held.
Fifth Grade Camping Trip
Fifth-grade students attend Camp Whitcomb Mason for a two-day camping trip. Students make great memories canoeing, wading in water, singing camp songs around a bonfire, going on a guided night hike, doing an archeological dig and participating in various other educational activities. Students sleep in a lodge and eat in a dining hall.
Honor Roll
Hawley students are honored for attendance, citizenship and gold or silver honor roll status. An all school assembly is held at the end of each semester to recognize students that have met the following honor roll criteria:
- Gold Honor Roll Criteria: At least three 4s on the core academic areas, the rest 3s, with no more than 2 check marks on the front page.
- Silver Honor Roll Criteria: All 3s. Must have 4 or less check marks on the front page.
- Citizenship Criteria: No check marks on the second page under personal and social development and study habits.
- Exemplary Attendance Criteria: Student with attendance at or above 95%.
Bucket Filling
Hawley is a bucket filling school! Bucket Filling is a program based off the children’s book Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud. Bucket filling is an easy to understand concept: Everyone carries an invisible bucket that holds our good thoughts and feelings. When our buckets are full, we feel happy and when our buckets are empty, we feel sad. Children quickly understand that they can fill buckets when they do and say things that are kind, caring and respectful. They also learn that when they are mean, uncaring or disrespectful, they dip into buckets and remove those good feelings. Even the youngest child understands that actions and words can either fill a bucket or dip into it. During the rest of the school year, we are encouraging, reminding, and recognizing everyone’s efforts to be bucket fillers at home, at school and everywhere they go. We are excited about this new program and look forward to your support. If you would like to learn more about bucket filling, visit the bucket Fillers website, http://www.bucketfillers101.com/.