All schools need to implement a system that provides a safe, secure and positive environment for their students. The program that provides this structure and accountability of student behavior is our Point System. Though we are not a school for students with severe emotional or behavioral problems the system the school has developed teaches all of our students to be more proactive in the school setting and to learn, as in the real world, that you are always held accountable for your actions through positive rewards or negative consequences.
The Fenster school point system is based on the principles of positive reinforcement. We strongly believe that students achieve and learn with a system that rewards their students for their positive actions and reinforces their positive behaviors. This system also allows consequences for all student issues to be given immediate attention and feedback.
Students are given a minimum of 10 points each day on a weekly basis. Students earn additional points as the week goes on for being responsible, following school rules, helping out around the school and other areas of positive desired behaviors. For example a student may offer to help a teacher to clean up the room after class. At the teachers discretion the student may be rewarded by receiving points for their help. On the other hand if a student shows undesired behavior, points may be taken away.
Points are totaled every day and students use their points to earn privileges such as off campus trips including movie trips, shopping trips, ball games and so forth. Trips have different values and if a student has enough points to participate then he/she may do so. However, there are activities that don’t require point usage which are generally educational field trips.
Our point system runs in 7 day increments and each Saturday the students begin with a clean slate. This allows any students who have not done as well as they should have the previous week to start over and have the opportunity to have a better week.
For serious infractions of the school rules a student is required to attend a “Standards Meeting” which is comprised of the Director, Principal, Director of Admissions and Dean of Students.
Standards is only used for serious infractions and is not to intimidate a student but rather to discuss with the student the reason for the behavior, what he/she could have done to better handle the situation and the reasoning for the consequences he/she will be receiving for that behavior. This is also a time where the student has an opportunity to address the situation with the committee in a responsible and thoughtful way.