

Massillon City Schools PBIS News
2nd Quarter Edition 2023
What Is PBIS?
PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) is a system that our schools use to support students in many ways. PBIS consists of clear behavioral expectations, teaching and re-teaching these expectations, and acknowledging students for meeting these expectations. PBIS supports are tailored to meet the needs of all students. The goal of PBIS is to create a positive school climate that leads to safety and success for all students.
Gorrell Elementary
Kindergarten students are responsible for throwing away their trash at lunch.
Washington High School
Mr. Kilgore's Honors Pre-Calculus class is responsible for having perfect attendance in class today!
Franklin Elementary
Third graders that had perfect attendance in the first grading period pointing to their names on the list!
“Be Responsible”
What does it mean to be responsible in school?
“Be responsible” is one of our 4 Be’s you will find here at Massillon City Schools, Pre-K-12th grade. Being responsible means to “have an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone, as part of one's job or role,” according to the Oxford dictionary. So, what does this mean for our school district? It is a characteristic of our students that is developed each year to prepare them for life after high school. Being responsible can be a difficult task but each year we give students opportunities to work on this skill.
Examples of students being responsible may include:
- a preschooler practices their letters at home to write their names and other words, which helps them stay on track for kindergarten readiness
- an elementary student being responsible may be reading at home each night to improve and maintain their reading fluency
- an intermediate student being responsible is to complete and turn in their homework each day in order to practice math fluency skills
- a junior high student being responsible is to plug in their chrome books each evening in order to be prepared the next day for their online curriculum
- a high school student being responsible is to balance their time between family, school, job, and friends. It is so important to develop responsibility so that we are preparing our students for their adulthood.
In conclusion, as a school district or even just a school, responsibility lies in being held accountable for all your actions whether it's a positive or a con and allows for students the opportunity or ability to act independently and make decisions. This applies even when you think no one is watching because even when you think nobody is someone that you may not suspect is...it could be a student in another grade, class, teacher that you don't have, monitor, aide or custodian in the building or district. In all that you do, be responsible for your actions, own it and be held accountable. As we partner with families to teach our students to be responsible, we must know and practice being united in teaching responsibility.
MJH students are responsible by working on their plate tectonics project.
Ways to Foster Responsibility at Home
Teaching children responsibility is one of the most important life goals you should have as a parent or caregiver to help them become successful adults. Here are some suggestions to help build responsibility with your child at home.
Reinforce the positive: Be specific when giving your child a compliment. Ex. “I loved how you washed the dishes without being asked.
Share household tasks and chores: Allow children the opportunity to learn responsibility by doing chores around the house. It will give them a sense of accomplishment as well as contributing to the family’s well being.
Allow your child to face natural consequences and learn from mistakes: As long as the consequences are not harmful, allow your kids to experience the natural consequences of their behavior. Ex. If your child doesn’t want to wear a coat on a chilly day, they will experience the natural consequence of being cold.
Don’t let your child off the hook if they misbehave at school: Talk to your child about what happened and be consistent with consequences. Be positive and let them know you have confidence they can make better choices.
Gorrell Elementary
Responsible students were chosen to attend the groundbreaking ceremony to dig the first pile of dirt for the new elementary buildings!
Massillon Intermediate
PBIS Walkathon Catered Lunch from Chick-Fil-A
Whittier Elementary
Students waiting in line quietly after restroom break.
1st Nine Weeks Attendance Data
Be Here!
Regular school attendance is critical to the development and education of children; it is also one of the most powerful predictors of future success, both in school and after graduation. Each day of school missed is the equivalent of 2.50 days of lost math learning and 1.50 days of lost language and literacy learning. The state of Ohio views a child as chronically absent by basically missing 2 days of school each month. Children who are chronically absent in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the third grade. By third grade, chronic absenteeism can lead to a 50-day instructional gap – more than a quarter of a school year. Our children cannot learn if they are not in school.
Our district leadership teams have dissected the first nine weeks attendance data and at the end of the first nine weeks our students missed 17,210 days of school. Additionally, our students were tardy 4,865 times during the first nine weeks. Both of these numbers are an increase from the first quarter of last school year (2022-2023). It will take all of us working together to encourage our students to be at school and on time daily!
Gorrell Elementary
3rd Grade students being responsible with their Chromebooks!
MIS students are having PBIS fun.
Family PBIS Resources
The following link will access a site that provides resources and information you may find helpful. This resource includes district and county resources as well as information about how you can support school attendance.
The district expectations were developed by the district PBIS team to guide our students and staff to become better educators, students, friends and people. All buildings in the district have matrices in the hallways to remind students and staff of the everyday expectations in all areas of the buildings.
Massillon Intermediate 4th Graders enjoying 1st Quarter Reward Dance Party!
Franklin Elementary
Kindergarten students bring their folders back to school in the morning.