GAPBS 2020 Innovative Practices Award

Mary Persons High School Student Focus Group

Dr. Jim Finch, the Principal of Mary Persons, understood the power of student voice and built the Mary Persons Student Focus Group into the school’s PBIS framework. This advisory team of students are nominated by staff. They do not have to be scholars, or athletes, or A students.....they have to be solid students who know and demonstrate the CHAMP Expectations....Courteous, Honorable, Accountable, Motivated, and Prepared. These expectations are quite simply now their culture, and it is because of staff AND student buy in. The Student Focus Group is the advisory group of students who speaks on behalf of the student body to the administration. Over time, the Student Focus Group has created their own list of meaningful acknowledgements for attendance and academic improvement, and presented to Dr. Finch and his cabinet. Their biggest motivating idea, leaving school early the last day of a semester if grades were acceptable, was taken to the Monroe County BOE for approval and it passed. Over time the Student Focus group has become one of the highest honors at MPHS and has built an incredible sense of community across campus. The Student Focus Group of Mary Persons High School will be invited to be a featured presentation at next year’s conference to share their amazing Innovative Practices.

Congratulations to GAPBS 2020 Virtual Conference Presentations from Middle Georgia!!!

ePBIS: HERO in Every Environment

Jill Burwell, Assistant Principal - Veterans elementary

Bibb County

PBIS at the High School Level: Panel Presentations and Q&A

Dr. Courtney Herbert, PBIS Coach - Perry High School

Houston County

Congratulations to the teams who presented at the 2019 GAPBS Conference

Bibb County:

Bibb County Superintendent, Curtis Jones: Welcome

Northeast Zone: Tonya Bryant, Lanaye Milton, Chiquella Taylor, Fabion Vicks - Feed into PBIS

SOAR Academy: Dericca Gail - Multitiered Support Systems and PBIS: Action Planning to Create a Positive Culture and Climate in any Academic Setting

Veterans Elementary: Cleveland Johnson, Jill Burwell-Jackson - Conjunction, Junction What's Your Function... Effective PBIS Classroom Practices

Howard Middle School: Kevin Adams, Lauren Rankin, Chanda Williams - 7 Habits meet PBIS

Rutland High School: Wendy Pooler, Hunter Gales, Kennedy Stephens - PBIS: Not Just a Program, It’s A Game Changer

Bibb County Chief of Staff, Keith Simmons: Using an Equity Lens to Reimagine Classroom Management

Houston County:

Hilltop Elementary: Christa Franz, Shaun Parsons and Jennifer Wynn - Soaring Through a Balanced Approach

C.B Watson Primary: Tami Karimoto - 3-5 Not Years But Climate Star Rating

Houston County PBIS District Coordinator, Jason Pinkney: Have It Your Way or Probably Not - Community PBIS

Monroe County:

Mary Persons High School Principal, Jim Finch - Be A CHAMP! “From Implementation to Sustainability to RTI and more!”