School Culture
Keep It Real
All members of the Edison community: students, staff, parents, and community members strive to
Keep It Real
Respect
Empathy
Awareness
Learning
These are the central values upon which Edison's culture is built. Teachers and staff model these values in their interactions with students and with each other, and reward students when they demonstrate these values through their words and actions.
School Climate
Students enjoy a positive climate for learning. Listed below are some ways in which this is achieved:
- Assemblies are held regularly in the "quad" with awards given for citizenship, scholarship, and special effort.
- Students from several upper-grade classes choose to become "buddies" to primary students. These shared activities help build self-esteem in both older and younger children.
- Numerous students assist as cafeteria helpers, office helpers, messengers, and tutors. Such activities help all students develop leadership skills.
- Selected fifth-grade students participate in a Conflict Manager Program. They receive training and are responsible for mediating some student problems.
Conflict Resolution
We are working toward helping students improve their interpersonal skills by teaching them different alternatives to solving problems they experience in learning to get along with other children. Before coming to an adult to complain about a problem, we are asking students to use some of the following strategies to try and solve the problem themselves.
Conflict Resolution Strategies
- Talk it over. Listen.
- Walk away.
- Say, "I'm sorry".
- Do something else.
- Take turns.
- Share.
- Ignore it.
- Ask for help.
- Use rock, paper, scissors.
With this plan we hope students will learn skills that will help them throughout life, by developing a sense of responsibility for their behavior. Students will become more confident in their decision-making skills, while they build good self-esteem.
Positive Behavioral Interventions
What is PBIS?
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an approach to teaching and supporting positive behaviors and meeting the needs of ALL students. This school-wide approach to behavior focuses on building a safe and positive environment in which all students can learn. The foundation of PBIS at Edison Elementary School is the four school-wide expectations:
- Be Respectful
- Be Empathetic
- Be Aware
- Be ready to Learn
In addition to our behavior expectations, PBIS has four other components:
- A behavior matrix which explains behavior expectations in each school setting;
- Direct teaching of the expectations;
- Keep it REAL Slips - PBIS recognition slips; and
- Behavior tracking to record and address inappropriate behaviors.
Teaching Expectations
Throughout the school year, students will be taught how to behave according to the expectations. Teachers will help students learn what the expectations “look” and “sound” like in every setting during the school day. These lessons will be re-taught and reinforced throughout the school year, and become a regular part of our instructional program.
PBIS Recognition
Acknowledging and reinforcing positive behavior is one of the best ways to change inappropriate behavior and encourage appropriate behavior. A successful ratio to support positive behavior is implementing 5 positive comments per 1 corrective comment. At Edison each student has the opportunity to earn Keep it REAL Slips for meeting behavior expectations. When goals are met, students will be rewarded by the school or classroom reward program as well as participating in periodic school-wide celebrations.
Behavior Matrix
The behavior matrix is a detailed description of expected behavior in each setting of the school. For example, in the lunch area it is respectful to say “please” and “thank you.” It is responsible to clean your space. The matrix will be posted in classrooms, around school and sent home.
Parents/Guardians and PBIS
To be successful, our behavior program needs to be a partnership between home and school. Throughout the school year the PBIS team will send updates and information about PBIS. We invite your comments, concerns and ideas to make PBIS work at our school. Please support PBIS at Edison by:
- Reviewing behavior expectations with your child
- Signing and returning the behavior expectation slip sent home with your child
- Using the four expectations at home
- Providing positive reinforcement (rewarding good choices with compliments or quality time) at home
- Sharing comments with teachers/staff on how we can improve PBIS
- Read ongoing e-blast communication to learn more about Edison Elementary School.
Together we can achieve more!
Parent Expectations
| R E S P E C T |
|
|---|---|
| E M P A T H Y |
|
| A W A R E N E S S |
|
| L E A R N I N G |
|
Each fall, students and parents are expected to read, sign, and return Edison's Home-School Agreement. Click here to read and download this year's Home-School Agreement.
