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August 28th, 2006
BRADENTON - Orange Ridge-Bullock fifth-grader Terrance Bridges sorted through a tantalizing assortment of enticing items spread out on tables in the school's auditorium before zeroing in on a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.
“I like Reese's,” Terrance said, sporting a full-scale, fifth-grade grin
With that, Terrance tugged at a pocket and pulled out a pile of orange-and-black slips of paper; happily known at Orange Ridge-Bullock as “Paw Bucks.” Terrance handed six of the Paw Bucks to a lady behind the table and in turn, received his prized peanut butter cup.
PAW Buck
“I'm going to save it for later,” he said.
Being good pays well at Orange Ridge-Bullock where students like Terrance receive Paw Bucks when teachers spot them showing off examples of the school's four basic behavior expectations: 1) Be respectful; 2) Be a learner; 3) Be safe; 4) Be responsible.
“Whenever we see a student demonstrating behavior that demonstrates good character, we give them a Paw Buck,” said guidance counselor Cynthia Wonnacott. “The kids save them up and then every Friday they have an opportunity to spend them at our Paw Bucks Market.” On a recent Friday, the Paw Bucks Market was bustling with bug-eyed students looking for a bargain.
There were stings of beads selling for 6 Paw Bucks, fancy colored pencils for 15 Paw Bucks and bouncy rubber balls and cool-looking key chains on sale for 20 Paw Bucks apiece.
For those students who had been really good, there were full-sized footballs, basketballs and soccer balls going for the princely sum of 75 Paw Bucks.
Fifth-grade student Nyla Mitchell could afford anything in the store she wanted because her good behavior had netted her a net income of 80 Paw Bucks.
“I've been following directions and doing what the teacher asks me to do,” Nyla said, explaining how she accumulated such wealth. “This is fun because you do something good and you get a Paw Buck and that makes you glad you did it.”
Nyla said she would probably save her money for the school's special event being held at the end of the month. In August, the special event was popcorn and a movie that the students could attend for 50 Paw Bucks. In September, the special event is going to give students a chance to build their own ice cream sundae, also at a cost of 50 Paw Bucks.
Media Suggs, the mother of a kindergarten student at Orange Ridge-Bullock, volunteers on Fridays as a sales person at the Paw Bucks Market. After she works at the market she stays at the school to have lunch with her son.
“The Paw Bucks program is good because it provides positive reinforcement,” Suggs said. “The kids like to come in here and shop and I'm having fun getting to know the kids and the teachers.”
Fifth-grade teacher Michelle Nelson, who teaches both Terrance and Nyla, said the Paw Bucks program was instituted by the school's Behavior Specialists Team and it's created a real buzz at Orange Ridge-Bullock.
“We wanted to find a way to put some positive empowerment into the students' hands for their behavior and this program does that,” Nelson said. “This helps our kids realize that there are certain behaviors expected of them even when they leave our school.”
It seems to be working, according to Nelson, who said her number of office referrals is down this year. And the program pays off in other ways for teachers and staff members at the school, according to Terrance.
When explaining some of the things he did to earn his Paw Bucks, Terrance said he did something nice for a staff member who shall remain nameless. “I helped her out,” Terrance said. “I helped her carry some books because she's kind of old.”
Obi Tarwoe and Stephanie Jimenez of Orange Ridge Bullock
proudly show off their PAW Bucks.