BES follows the Capturing Kids’ Hearts model by creating and using a classroom Social Contract for expected behaviors. All students and teachers agree to follow this contract with clarified consequences when the contract is broken. Your child’s teacher will send home a copy of the social contract in the first weeks of school. The focus of a social contract is on teaching and noticing desired behavior rather than noticing and punishing inappropriate behavior.

Some other important components of the Capturing Kids Hearts’ model are: Handshake: Teachers greet their students at the beginning of their class with a handshake. Affirmations: Students and teachers share verbal and/or written affirmations with each other. This is a way to create a positive classroom environment and help develop a healthy self esteem. Non verbal signs: We use three different common hand signs in the classrooms and around the school to communicate some important messages. Time out (for a quiet , focused environment) Help (when a student is “off-task” and needs a reminder from a friend) Foul (when a student has done something that might make another student feel uncomfortable or offended). When this sign is used, the student who had fouled the other, needs to come up with two “put-ups” about the offended student, as a way to help resolve the issue and restore the relationship. Social Contract Consequences: When students and teachers agree and sign their classroom “Social Contract”, they also agree on some specific consequences to use when the contract is broken. Some of those are:

• Completing a “Think-Sheet”
• Call home
• Apology note or affirmations to those who were offended
• Office Referral (as a final classroom consequence)

Four questions: When students are off-task or misbehaving in the classroom, teachers use the 4 questions to redirect them and help them refocus. What are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing? Are you doing it? What are you going to do about it?

Effective student discipline and management is important for productive learning. Staff work hard to provide clear boundaries, structure and consistency, so students feel safe, cared for, and respected. Differing levels of support and interventions are provided for students based on their needs. Proactive teaching includes teaching expected and more socially acceptable behaviors and practicing them in the natural environment, followed by frequent positive reinforcement. All BES staff teach and model expectations, guide students to their best behavior, as well as communicate and provide consistent consequences in a kind and firm way when student behaviors need redirection.