Be Safe
Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself; use materials correctly; walk when expected; follow safety directions; and tell an adult when someone may be hurt.
HOW OUR CLASSROOM WORKS
Clear expectations. Fresh starts. Safe learning.
Children deserve to know what is expected, receive a chance to practice it, and understand what happens next. Our behavior system teaches choices, recognizes growth, and keeps safety at the center.
OUR FOUNDATION
The 3 B’s
Nearly every classroom decision can be checked with three simple questions: Is it safe? Is it respectful? Is it responsible?
Be Respectful
Use kind language, listen when others speak, honor names and identities, respect personal space, care for our classroom, and disagree without being hurtful.
Be Responsible
Arrive ready, follow directions, complete an honest effort, care for belongings, use technology correctly, fix mistakes, and ask for help when it is needed.
REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS
Voice levels 0–4
Children already understand that different places call for different volumes. We use familiar real-world places to make that invisible social rule concrete: a concert voice does not belong in a coffee shop, and a cafeteria conversation does not belong in a hallway where classes are learning.
0
LEVEL 0 • Silent
Movie Theater Mode
Just like during a movie, everyone is focused and listening. Our voices are off so we do not interrupt the people around us.
Appropriate at school
- Hallways while other classrooms are learning
- Independent tests and assessments
- Teacher directions or read-alouds
- Safety drills and important announcements
1
LEVEL 1 • Quiet partner or table talk
Coffee Shop Mode
People can work and have a soft conversation in a coffee shop without taking over the whole room. Other tables should not hear every word.
Appropriate at school
- Partner work
- Small-group learning
- Quiet centers
- Working at a table while classmates are also concentrating
2
LEVEL 2 • Comfortable group conversation
Restaurant Mode
At a restaurant, a small group can talk face-to-face while still respecting nearby tables. It is social, but it is not yelling across the room.
Appropriate at school
- The cafeteria
- A class celebration with permission
- Team activities
- A group discussion when several people need to hear
3
LEVEL 3 • Clear presenter voice
Streamer Mode
A streamer or presenter projects clearly so the whole audience can understand. This voice is confident and strong—not screaming.
Appropriate at school
- Presenting a project
- Giving a speech
- Leading the class
- Answering from the front of the room when everyone needs to hear
4
LEVEL 4 • Celebration voice
Concert Mode
Concert volume is exciting and very loud, so it is saved for places and moments where loud cheering has been invited.
Appropriate at school
- Pep rallies
- Outdoor games
- School performances
- A teacher-directed celebration or cheer
The teacher identifies the voice level for the activity. The goal is not for children to stay silent all day—it is for them to learn how to adjust their volume to the people, place, and purpose.
!
SCHOOL-ALIGNED SAFETY RESPONSE
Serious Safety Incidents
Physical aggression is addressed immediately to protect students and restore safety. Families will be contacted, and administration may be involved according to the circumstances, school procedures, and any applicable individualized student supports.
This is a classroom-level family summary, not a separate disciplinary policy. The current MPS Parent/Student Handbook, Gaenslen procedures, PBIS/MLSS framework, and applicable individualized supports control how incidents are addressed.
A VISUAL FRESH-START SYSTEM
How behavior clips work
Every child begins every day on Ready to Learn. Clips can move down when support is needed and can move back up when a child reflects, repairs, and demonstrates a better choice. One difficult moment does not have to define the entire day.
1
Outstanding
The student is consistently modeling the 3 B’s, helping the community, and making choices that positively influence others.
2
Good Day
The student has shown strong choices throughout the day, responded well to feedback, and demonstrated noticeable effort or growth.
3
Good Job
The student is meeting expectations, showing responsibility, or making a positive correction after a reminder.
4
Ready to Learn
Every student begins here each day. This is a fresh start and means the student is prepared to learn and make good choices.
5
Stop and Think
The student needs a pause, reminder, or chance to reflect and choose a safer, more respectful, or more responsible action.
6
Teacher’s Choice
A behavior continued after redirection. The teacher selects a logical response such as a seat change, reflection, practice of the routine, temporary loss of a privilege, or restorative conversation.
7
Parent Contact
The behavior continued through earlier supports, became a pattern, or was serious enough that family partnership is needed. Contact may be a ParentSquare message or phone call.
SUPPORT BEFORE CONTACT
How consequences progress
For everyday off-task or inappropriate behavior, students usually receive multiple opportunities to correct the choice before a family message or phone call.
- 1
Verbal redirection
A brief reminder, restatement of the expectation, proximity, nonverbal cue, or chance to try the routine again.
- 2
Clip moved
A visual signal that the behavior has continued and the student needs to stop, think, and change course.
- 3
Classroom point deduction
A classroom behavior point may be removed when the same behavior continues. The student can still earn future points through improved choices and genuine effort.
- 4
Message or phone call home
Family partnership is requested when behavior becomes a pattern, earlier supports have not worked, or the situation is serious.
Depending on the situation, a logical response may also include changing seats, practicing a procedure again, completing a reflection, restoring materials, apologizing or repairing harm, taking a calm-down break, temporarily losing a related privilege, or receiving additional school support.
BEHAVIOR-BASED REWARDS
What earns recognition
- Purpose: Rewards recognize choices that help the child and the classroom community.
- Progress over perfection: Rewards are not payment for being perfect.
- Fresh opportunities: A child who makes a mistake can still show growth, earn recognition later, and have a successful day.
Behaviors we recognize
- The 3 B’s: Following Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible—even when an adult is not watching.
- Voice-level awareness: Using the correct voice level and adjusting after a reminder.
- Positive advocacy: Appropriately speaking up for yourself or someone else.
- Helpful support: Assisting a classmate who needs help without doing the work for them.
- Kindness and inclusion: Welcoming others and showing kindness across differences.
- Academic effort: Trying honestly and asking for help appropriately.
- Repairing mistakes: Owning a choice, repairing harm, and making a stronger next choice.
- Meaningful progress: Showing improvement even when the skill is not mastered yet.
Behaviors that do not earn a reward
- Unsafe behavior: Physical aggression, threats, bullying, harassment, or unsafe play.
- Repeated disrespect: Continuing disrespectful behavior after redirection.
- Disrupting learning: Preventing yourself or other students from learning.
- Misusing property: Using technology, materials, or another person’s belongings inappropriately.
- Reward-demanding behavior: Doing a kind act only to demand a prize afterward.
- Avoiding responsibility: Covering up a harmful choice or blaming others instead of repairing it.
- A new chance remains: Not earning one reward is not permanent punishment. Students receive fresh opportunities to demonstrate growth.
Recognition
- Specific praise tied to the positive behavior
- Classroom behavior points
- Positive notes or ParentSquare messages home
- Classroom shout-outs
- Having growth and improvement noticed
Classroom privileges
- Choice seating
- Serving as a classroom helper
- Leading a classroom routine
- Selecting a brain break
- Being first to choose an activity
Choice opportunities
- Special drawing or reading time
- Approved Chromebook choices
- Classroom games
- Choosing a partner when appropriate
- Extra time with a preferred classroom activity
Prizes and events
- Small prize-box items
- Classroom coupons
- Reward drawings
- Class celebrations
- Participation in upcoming behavior-based reward activities
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
Growth, goals, and clear expectations.
Academic recognition may celebrate meaningful progress, meeting a clearly communicated learning goal, persistence, or mastery of an identified standard. Students are not ranked against classmates, and recognition is never based on favoritism.
🍎
Lunch with the Teacher
How future opportunities will work
- The learning goal and evidence used will be explained before students begin working toward the reward.
- Criteria will be connected to current classroom instruction and available school-approved assessment information.
- Students will be measured against the announced goal—not against another child.
- Required accommodations and individualized supports will remain available.
- Families will be informed before a formal award window begins.
🌱
Effort & Progress Recognition
Growth also matters
- Honest effort, persistence, improvement, and use of feedback may receive smaller recognition.
- Recognition for effort does not change the stated requirement for a goal-based award.
- Students receive fresh opportunities to practice and demonstrate learning.
- Schoolwork, scores, and goals remain private between the student, family, and appropriate staff.
HOW FAIRNESS IS PROTECTED
Criteria come before rewards
- Advance notice: Students and families receive the goal and requirements before the award opportunity.
- No retired data: Scores, placement bands, and cutoffs from discontinued programs will not determine awards.
- No class ranking: Students do not compete for the highest score or a limited number of spaces.
- Consistent process: The same announced criteria apply to every participating student, with required accommodations and supports.
- Private information: Families receive information about their own child, not another student’s performance.
- Current guidance controls: Recognition practices remain subject to current school procedures and MPS policy.
FAMILY PARTNERSHIP
When you hear from me
A behavior message is meant to share information and build a plan—not to shame a child. Helpful family conversations can be brief and focused on reflection.
Questions families can ask
- Which of the 3 B’s was difficult in that moment?
- Who was affected by the choice?
- What could you do differently next time?
- Is there something you need help communicating?
- How can you repair the situation?
What children should know
Adults can be disappointed in a choice while still caring about the child. Accountability and belonging can exist together. Tomorrow offers another chance to begin on Ready to Learn.