1. ISSUE #3
MiBLSi PBIS
Newsletter
Spring 2010 Welcome!
Inside This Issue Welcome to the 2010 MIBLSI/PBIS Newsletter
We hope you have had a great 2010 school year and that your MIBLSI and
PBIS at Wesley School 2 PBIS efforts are going strong. In traveling the county, observing and talking
PBIS at You-Turn 3 to staff, students, and families in our participating schools, we have been con-
tinually impressed with your teamwork and hard efforts in creating positive
MiBLSI Cohort 6 4 preventative behavior cultures in your schools. We recognize that these are
hard times and know that it will take dedicated people like yourselves to sus-
Participating Schools tain the successes you have achieved in the face of economic adversity. At the
ISD, the MIBLSI/PBIS Support Team is proud to be working with your
Beach Elementary (Fruitport) schools and wants to continue to pledge our support in any way that we can.
Beachnau Elementary (Ravenna) We are welcoming two new Cohort 6 MIBLSI schools (Reeths-Puffer Central
Bluffton Elementary (Muskegon) and Mona Shores Churchill elementaries), and outlining the efforts of two
Campbell Elementary (Mona Shores) specialized education programs initiating PBIS initiatives (i.e., the You Turn
Program for Expelled Youth and The Wesley School Program for Students
Cardinal Elementary (Orchard View)
with Developmental Disabilities). We will also provide focus articles on col-
Central Elementary School (Reeths- Puffer) laborative teamwork, advanced applications of SWIS, new information from
Churchill Elementary (Mona Shores) SWIS facilitators, samples of classroom positive incentive systems., and a
Edgewood Elementary (Fruitport) sample of decisions that school teams have made using their SWIS data. Once
Edgewood Elementary (Muskegon Heights) again, thank you for you support!!!
Lincoln Park Elementary (Mona Shores)
Loftis Elementary (Muskegon Heights) Steven Vitto, M.A., CCII, Behavior Consultant & Newsletter Editor
Marquette Elementary (Muskegon) Latesha Johnson, Administrative Assistant, Editing Support & Production
Martin Luther King (Muskegon Heights)
McLaughlin Elementary (Muskegon)
McMillan (Reeths Puffer)
Muskegon Heights Middle School
Nelson Elementary (Muskegon)
Nims Elementary (Muskegon)
Oakview Elementary (Muskegon)
Orchard View Early Elementary
Orchard View Middle School
Reeths-Puffer Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary (Muskegon Heights)
Shettler Elementary (Fruitport)
Wesley School
You-Turn
Please send questions,
comments, PBIS photos,
videos, and celebrations to:
svitto@muskegonisd.org

2. Page 2
PBIS at Wesley School
Wesley School Implements SW-PBIS
Mike Jones, Wesley SCI Classroom Teacher
As part of school-wide initiatives,
Wesley School, a center-based spe-
cial education program in Muskegon,
MI, has implemented School Wide-
Positive Behavior Supports. While
SW-PBIS is primarily focused on the
general education setting, Wesley has
striven to adapt the model to a center-
based format. Other schools around
the state have successfully done so,
including Highland Pines, in Caro,
Michigan.
Wesley’s program features a STAR
acronym focusing on safety, respon-
sibility, doing your best, and respect
throughout various locations in the
school. Students can become
Wesley’s Stars and have their picture
placed outside of the principal’s of-
fice by being ‘caught’ in the act of
meeting a STAR expectation.
In early fall, Wesley school had a
school-wide staff kick off of the pro-
gram. During the kick off, staff mem-
bers created PBIS bulletin boards
throughout the school that featured
the STAR expectations. As well, the
PBIS Team posted signs and banners
in the hallways and entrances.
Since the staff kick off, Wesley Wesley’s PBIS Team
school has implemented a STAR cou-
pon system and, presented an original Emily Basse, Michael Bausano,
video and song created by Emily Pam Davis, Shannon Delora,
Basse and Steve Vitto, during a stu-
Katie Ellis, Barb Flahive,
dent assembly.
Each month, over the rest of the Megan Fox, Ann-Marie Holmes,
school year, Wesley school will focus Mike Jones, Tom Miller,
on one area and emphasize the expec-
Sue Ochs, Steven Vitto,
tations. During February, Wesley
focused on being a STAR in the hall- Michelle Wheeler
way.
Wesley school looks forward to suc-
cessfully implementing SW-PBIS
and initial results indicate that the
program is both positive and success-
ful.

3. Page 3
Bringing PBIS to the You-Turn Program
Creating a Preventative Culture for Expelled Youth
Steve Vitto, M.A., Behavior Consultant
AdrienneLanglois, Mercy Health Life Counseling
Muskegon’s You Turn Program is a Along with administration, MAISD
voluntary program for expelled stu- coaches and classroom staff Develyn
dents living in Muskegon County. Howard and Marshea Couch, You
Turn is planning for a Fall kick-off.
You Turn is a collaborative program
between Life Counseling and the The team has established their behav-
Muskegon Area Intermediate School ior expectations ,the expectation ma-
District (MAISD). It is housed in the trix and a referral form process, and
Mercy Health Partners Life Counsel- is currently working on visual sup-
ing Building. You Turn is embarking ports and a process for training stu-
on a new journey with the expelled dents. The goal is that after their ex-
youth that they serve. perience at You Turn, students will:
Many of the students at You Turn  Have a positive relationship-based
have had a long history of punish- view of authority figures.
ment (lack of privilege, loss of cred-
its, suspensions, detention or expul-  Learn how to resolve school and
sion). By adopting a program-wide interpersonal conflicts in a success-
Positive Behavior Support initiative ful manner.
(PBIS) , the You Turn Program is  Recognize how varied staff ap-
making an effort to replace punitive proaches effect their behavior.
and reactive approaches with evi-
dence-based proactive approaches  Become accountable for behavior
such as; teaching expectations, estab- and understand that every action
lishing relationship-based ap- has a consequence.
proaches that focus on mutual re-  Recognize the benefit of creating/
spect, establishing pre-arranged con- maintaining a constructive home/
sequences that are restorative and
YOU
school relationship.
meaningful, acknowledging student
accomplishments through a system-  Successfully transition back to the
atic incentive system, having one-on- school from which they were ex-
one goal setting and progress moni- pelled, ultimately reducing office
Take Responsibility
Take Responsibility
toring meetings, and using the data referrals, detention, suspension, Use Safe Responses
Use Safe Responses
collection tool School-Wide Informa- and retain a zero recidivism to the Respect Others
tion System (SWIS) to determine the
Respect Others
You Turn Program.
effectiveness of interventions. Under Never Stop Trying
Never Stop Trying
It is our hope that the students will
the direction of Susan Cook and
come back to the You Turn Program,
Adrienne Langlois, and with the sup-
not due to expulsion, but to share
port of MAISD consultants Tina their success stories upon returning
Harmon (Literary and Academics) to their school.
and Steven Vitto (Behavior Support),
You Turn has established a team ap-
proach based on the PBIS school-
wide model.

4. Page 4
MiBLSi/PBIS PBIS in Action! MiBLSi/PBIS
at Central Elementary Photos of Central and at Churchill Elementary
By Mike Lyons, Principal Churchill By Mark Platt, Principal
The Central Elementary Staff has The ROCK STAR program has been
embraced the PBIS model to help a huge success at Churchill Elemen-
create a safer and more effective en- tary!
vironment for teaching and learning. ROCK STAR stands for:
We feel we are well on our way to-
wards implementing a consistent Really
school-wide plan to improve our Outstanding
ability to teach and support positive
Churchill
behavior for all students.
Kids
We have spent much of our first year
building capacity as a staff. The Show kindness
leadership team meets monthly to Take responsibility
keep the process moving along by
continually updating the staff on Act respectfully
various initiatives we are working on Ready to learn
and soliciting their input to create
ownership. Discussions and collabo-
ration have been healthy and produc- “ROCK” represents what the staff
tive. Although there is still much to thinks of the kids and “STAR” are
do to put the systems in place, as a the student expectations.
staff we can celebrate the following The MiBLSi team created a behavior
accomplishments: flipchart for teachers. The chart has
 Identified School-wide Expecta- specific behavioral expectations for
tions specific areas of the building. Staff
 Development of our School-wide
Churchill Rocks! has a behavior-teaching chart that
mirrors the DIBELS progress-
Teaching Matrix monitoring schedule. Each week
 Creation of Lesson Plans to teach behaviors are retaught. The behavior
School-wide Expectations expectations have been posted
 Creation of Positive Behavior through out the hallways as well.
Award The logo below is on the charts, the
 Clearly defined and consistent SWIS tickets and the positive reward
consequences tickets too.
 Adoption of SWIS data system
Central’s PBIS mascot
Sparky says…
“Be safe , be respectful &
be responsible!”
Students at Churchill Elementary
are looking for this guy throughout
the building.
Central Elementary Staff