PBIS has its Student of the Month and Staff Member of the Month recipients for the month of February. 

English teacher Justin Spencer nominated sign language interpreters Christine Chatham and Brenda French, because they both do an outstanding job of helping students be accountable for their learning and their self-advocacy. 

“The job of a sign language interpreter amazes me,” Spencer said. “They have to take in and process what the teacher is saying and figure out a way to interpret that through sign, and then use their hands to sign it to a student so that the student can understand what is happening.” 

Other nominated staff members included speech-language pathologist Shannon Gagliano, guidance office secretary Judy Dillon, and learning specialist Amy Evert. 

Spanish teacher Madeline Rodriguez nominated junior Sophia Biel for being respectful, responsible, and accountable. Sophia helped a student in her class that was dealing with some emotional concerns. According to Rodriguez, Biel is kind and understanding to others and is amazing to have as part of her class. 

“Last month our school suffered a great loss, and all our students were hurting. When Sophia came to my class she was very kind, understanding, and supportive with many students but in particular [with] one girl in the class,” Rodriguez said. “She made her friend feel better and supported her throughout the class period.”

Junior Nick Haney was also nominated. 

English teacher Whitney Shoemaker nominated freshman Nyasia Merritt-Carrington because she has given gifts to all of the cafeteria staff for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. She has spent a lot of her own time and spent her own money on buying presents for the cafeteria staff for working hard everyday, making sure everyone gets their food. She made handwritten cards at Thanksgiving, and for Valentine’s Day, Merritt-Carrington ordered cookies for the cafeteria workers. 

“She often thinks of others besides herself,” Shoemaker said. “Nyasia is kind and generous and that needs to be recognized.” 

Other underclassmen who were nominated include freshmen Destiny Barber, Zariyah Dogan, and Alexa Slater, and sophomores Julian Agudelo, William Kelly, and Katie Rausch. 

Once a month Andrea Freeman, the assistant principal in charge of PBIS, sends out a link for staff members to nominate students and teachers on their good behavior. The PBIS committee, composed of Freeman, PBIS coach Adriah Williamson, and other faculty and staff, vote on the PBIS staff and students of the month. 

“[PBIS] is a system and a framework that rewards students for positive behavior,” Freeman said. “Research tells us that when we work in an environment that rewards positive behavior, rather than focusing on the consequences from negative behavior, then students and staff will internalize those behaviors better and more effectively.”