October 13, 2022

Recognizing students for their achievements is more than just giving good grades. 

At Fairview High School and Mayer Middle School, a new recognition program aims to highlight students for their social and behavioral success. Although both buildings have been highlighting students for various accomplishments throughout the years, Warrior PRIDE will focus on five specific areas to create a better school environment for everyone. 

Students who make Positive choices, have Respect, Integrity, and Determination, and show Engagement with their learning will be recognized each month by the building. 

“The previous highlighting of students was very limited,” Chris Vicha, Principal at Fairview High School and Mayer Middle School explained. “By reworking our Warrior of the Month system and promoting it to all the staff members as we have, our goal is to get every student in the building highlighted at least once throughout the year.”

Warrior PRIDE is part of a PBIS program, a state initiative to develop a positive climate in each school building. According to the Ohio Department of Education website, the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports system uses data to make decisions while using interventions and practices to support student needs and to ensure outcomes are met.

“We want to ensure that kids are not only learning, but they’re learning in an environment that is safe and respectful,” Vicha added. “What we are doing right now is formalizing a lot of things we already had in place. We had a lot of things that were working in different areas of the building.  So it’s just nice now that we can create this umbrella program to not only improve the culture but also improve the academic performance of the kids and the supports that go along with it.”

ODE notes that implementing a PBIS program like Warrior PRIDE can helps schools reduce challenging behaviors, increase academic performance, and reduce bullying behaviors. Staff also have time freed up to better educate students and administrators can better provide instructional leadership.

Any staff member can nominate a student for Warrior PRIDE recognition.

“So a kid that’s seen by a monitor in the hallway, or a kid that was extremely respectful to a cafeteria worker, or a student who helped another student on a bus,” Vicha stated. “Anyone can nominate.”

The Warrior PRIDE committee is comprised of students, staff, counselors, administration, parents and community members. They work together to determine guidelines and supports for students, along with creating fun incentive activities for recognized students.

“The incentive activities will be quarter by quarter and not day-to-day incentives,” Vicha said. “The rewards will be more grand at the quarter, and we’re really looking at it as more of an experience than a giveaway.”

The high school and middle school PRIDE program is very similar to the one at Gilles-Sweet Elementary. According to Vicha, staff in the building wanted to keep the categories consistent among the two buildings, however, some detailed definitions may differ. Consistency in expectations will help students bridge the gap between the two buildings.

“It’s a positive promotion of kids, and I think that’s important,” Vicha said. “Our goal by the time they graduate is that kids have the intrinsic motivation to make the right decisions and to be kind to one another. They need to help promote a positive culture, no matter where they are at.”