September 4, 2013 at 5:07 p.m.
They're back: Students return to RHS for a different kind of first day
Staff working to instill a model of good behavior
They're back: Students return to RHS for a different kind of first day
Instead of reporting to their classrooms, students began the day in the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium where a pep rally was held to mark the beginning of the new term.
After the pep rally, a short homeroom period was held at which time students received their class schedules. For the remainder of the morning students participated in a series of team-building exercises and were advised of the district's behavioral expectations.
The students then had lunch - with seniors enjoying a pizza party provided by Principal David Ditzler - and spent the rest of the afternoon in class.
Ditzler said the unconventional first day of school is part of an effort to ensure all students know what to expect for the upcoming year. Administrators want all students to understand the expectations that are part of the district's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiative.
"The whole idea behind our PBIS efforts is to set very clear expectations about how we want students to interact with each other, with teachers, and with the school," Ditzler said. "Part of the pep rally is to do that and then the remainder of the morning is kids moving around the building and learning exactly what manner of behavior is most appropriate. Then, as we get on with the rest of the year, everybody knows what is expected of them. There's no guesswork, this is what we expect."
Ditzler said the behavioral expectations lesson is necessary because not all students who show up for school understand appropriate behavior.
"There are too many kids that come to the building not knowing how to behave themselves in a public setting like this. So, if we set clear expectations right away, we believe the rest of the year will go much better," Ditzler said.
Depending on the feedback from this year's first day, Ditzler said the high school could permanently change how it operates on the first day of school and could implement changes to freshman orientation in the years to come.
"We'll have to see how well today goes. If the message is clearly received from this group of students, the only ones we have to work on will be the ninth graders coming in next year, so we may do orientation a little bit differently to make sure we have all of that done," Ditzler said.
PBIS is a district-wide initiative that focuses on the "Four B's" - be here, be responsible, be respectful, and be safe. While the B's are important at the high school level, Superintendent Kelli Jacobi said PBIS focuses on "working together for the success of all" at the upper level.
"They're following the same B's, but it's expanding to more than just that. As an example, we work a lot on anti-bullying - what to do if you see bullying, how to respond to it, how to be more inclusive in your group, welcoming students that are sitting by themselves in the commons area," she said. "It's all about working to offer support to others, to talk to others when you need support, really working together for the success of all."
Marcus Nesemann may be reached at [email protected].
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