House D "D-Back" Incentive Program

Hello Parents,

We have launched a new incentive program this week to help build work habits and a stronger work ethic within students.  This program rewards those students who are doing the things necessary to be successful in school.  This includes completing classwork, putting effort into work, completing homework assignments, demonstrating appropriate behavior, and showing up prepared to learn.  At the beginning of each week, students will write down goals in their planners that have been set for the week.  Most often these are work based, but sometimes they can be announcements of up coming quizzes or tests.  This will give the students a preview of what is expected in each core class for the week.  This week (we started yesterday), students wrote the following goals in their planners which you can see in a list format:

____  LA (Language Arts) - Reading log
____  LA  - labor conflict summary
____  SS (Social Studies) - completed Rosa Parks questions
____  SS  -  1st journal entry
____  SS  -  Timeline (this was due last Friday but several students did not turn it in)
____  M (Math)  - complete homework assignments
____  M  - Journal Entry
                    6th grade - Explain how to find % of number
                    7th grade - demonstrating understanding of integer and rational number operations
                    8th grade - demonstrating understanding of how to solve a system of equations
____ S (Science) - questions and hypothesis (complete - typed in google docs)
____ S  - Procedure typed and complete in google docs

On Fridays, we will initial on each line if the goal is complete or put a circle around it to indicate that the work was not done.  This will help you get a better glimpse of not only what we are covering but if your son/daughter is completing the work.  We created our own currency called "D-Backs" which students will earn in each class if they complete the goals for that class.  We are also incorporating other ways for students to earn D-Backs such as through  demonstrating Habits of Mind.  We will then have chances for students to spend the D-Backs on a variety of things or events.  Lastly, the last block of the day on Fridays will be used as "work rooms" or "activity rooms".  Work rooms will be used for students who have not completed goals for the week.  There will be teachers there to help when needed.  Activity rooms are used for games and other organized "fun" things for students who completed all goals.  We are hoping this will serve as an incentive for students to be more productive during the week.  Let us know if you have any questions.  We will be putting together an email list to send the goals directly to parents on Mondays to help build better communication between our House and you. 

House D