Mr. Miller is also the principal at Vernonia Elementary School and Mist Grade School. He has worked for VSD since 2006. Prior to becoming a Principal he was a 2nd/3rd Grade Teacher for 13 years, and a Varsity High School Baseball Coach for 11 years. He received his Bachelors Degree from Pacific University in 1988, his Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Oregon StateUniversity in 1992, and his administrative licensure from Portland State University in 2005. His vision for Washington and Mist is to support staff in their efforts to provide a well-rounded, comprehensive education for all students that meets state standards while addressing individual student strengths, weaknesses and needs.
PBS (Positive Behavior Support) is a behavior program that is individualized for each school where it is implemented. The overall concept of PBS is to provide clear, consistent rules and expectations for student behavior; teach those rules and expectations; provide positive rewards when expected behavior is demonstrated; and re-teach those expectations when negative behaviors occur.
Our school wide expectations are to “Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible.”
Too often behavior management programs only focus on the negative behaviors that children exhibit, and don’t acknowledge the majority of students who are already doing what is expected of them. PBS addresses both sides of the coin. It works to reward students’ positive choices, yet also deals effectively with negative behavior by providing opportunities for re-teaching and learning the correct way to behave. We provide this re-teaching model in learning academic subjects. PBS works to help teach behavior expectations that have not yet been learned or demonstrated.
Our staff has been busy teaching expectations for all aspects of our school including the playground, cafeteria, hallways, bathrooms, assemblies and other common areas. When students are “caught being good” they can be rewarded with “Bee Bucks.” Bee Bucks are tickets that can be saved to turn in for a reward, or can be turned in for bi-weekly school drawings for a chance at a larger reward.
As we begin this new program, Bee Bucks and rewards are a popular topic among students and staff. While they are an important part of this program, the main focus of PBS is to positively impact the behavior of students to decrease negative incidents, and increase individual responsibility for the student’s own behavior.
If you have any specific questions about PBS, or anything else at school, please feel free to call or set up an appointment to visit.
Thank you for your support as we work to provide your students with a positive learning environment.
