Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Logo Title

PBIS/SEL

PBIS

Starling Elementary School is dedicated to providing our community with a world-class education for all students. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an approach to teaching and supporting positive behaviors that meet the needs of every student. This school-wide approach to discipline focuses on building a safe and positive learning environment where outstanding learning can occur. 

The foundation of PBIS at Starling Elementary is comprised of our “Rams Expectations:”

  • Reach for Excellence
  • Act Responsibly
  • Model Kindness
  • Seek Solutions

These are the characteristics that we want to instill in our students as they grow into young adulthood. The behavior expectations will be taught, reinforced, and students will receive recognition when expectations are met in all school settings. We are excited and dedicated to continue implementing PBIS at Starling Elementary since we believe that a positive and caring learning environment is what all students, parents and teachers desire.  

Rules are designed to notify students about the types and ranges of behaviors that are unacceptable.  Nevertheless, every specific variation of the prohibited conduct may not have been included.  Consequently, students should expect to be disciplined for misconduct that is so obviously inappropriate.  A specific rule need not be written for every conceivable variation of behavior that directly affects the orderly mission of the school. The decisions made by the administration regarding discipline consequences are final.

The behavior expectations will be taught, reinforced, and students will receive recognition when expectations are met in all school settings as shown on the matrix below. Therefore, we always expect our students to make the best choices regarding their behavior.

Logical Consequences for Misbehavior: 

We are striving to provide a school program that allows all students to feel successful and at the same time, develop self-discipline.  No student should interfere with the rights of others to learn.  Each student is expected to cooperate with teachers and fellow students and treat one another with cooperation, respect, and empathy. 

The responsibility for a student’s conduct is shared by the school and home.  Parents will be made aware of behavior problems.  We ask that you be supportive in working with the child and the school to help solve the problem. Each teacher will communicate the classroom and school rules utilizing the Positive Behavior Instructional Support (PBIS) approach to discipline. 

We always expect our students to make the best choices regarding their behavior.  In the event that they do not make those positive choices, every misbehavior will be individually assessed and considered within the Gwinnett County Discipline policies and procedures. 

Additionally, we will determine consequences related to the PBIS and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework. As in the past, we will use a minor system to collect data for each student, however the consequences will be based on logical consequences based on the misbehavior. We will support all students with goal setting, and pathways to make positive decisions with their behavior. 

Such Logical Consequences could include but not limited to:

  • Call to parent/guardian
  • Warning, Administrative Detention, Opportunity Room
  • Time out, Refocus and/or visit to buddy teacher
  • Discussion with counselor and/or administrator
  • Out-of-School Suspension

SEL

The explicit teaching and integration of Social-Emotional Learning is evident daily at Starling Elementary School. Students engage in a daily morning meeting. Each Monday, we utilize the Character Strong curriculum to teach explicit character lessons based on a Word of the Month. Character Strong focuses on three outcomes: Be Kind, Be Strong, and Be Well. Grade-level specific skills are found below:

  • PreK and Kindergarten - Listening, Following Directions,  Identifying Emotions
  • 1st grade - Friendship, Focusing, Emotion Awareness
  • 2nd grade - Understanding Conflict-Resolution, Engagement, Emotion Regulation
  • 3rd grade - Perspective Taking, Flexible Thinking, Emotion Advocacy
  • 4th grade - Practicing Conflict-Resolution, Organization, Positive Self-Talk
  • 5th grade - Leadership, Goal-Setting, Stress-Management