For years the East Grand Rapids Middle School has had a "Way to Go" ticket system to encourage and reward positive behavior at school. Students are randomly handed a ticket when a teacher or staff member catches them doing something good like picking up trash, saying a kind word, holding a door, picking up an item someone else dropped etc. Those tickets have historically gone into a weekly prize drawing.
Earlier this school year, Mr. Dykstra and Mr. Jager noticed that there were hundreds of tickets in the drawings that were going unrewarded. Mr. Jager shared, "We wanted to give students extra incentive to work toward the positives and allow them to have some control over what they can do when the positive things they are doing are recognized."
Their idea evolved into what is now known as "The Pioneer Pantry", a school store where students can use their "Way to Go" tickets as bucks and purchase things like candy, squishy toys and even East gear. To help fund the start of the store Mr. Jager applied for and received a grant from the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation.
To enhance the store further, non-diploma bound students at EGRMS are The Pioneer Pantry "staff". These students take inventory, write receipts when students purchase items, calculate how much was spent and get items off the shelf for those who are shopping. "The goal here is to teach students some entry level, real work applicable job skills," said Jager.
So far, the store has been a great success with an increase in "Way to Go" tickets being passed out and a decrease in office visits for negative behavior.
