Photo Provided Van Devender Middle School 8th-grader Christopher Pipkin puts his hands in the air during a dance Tuesday.

PARKERSBURG — Van Devender Middle School this week kicked off a new program to encourage good behavior in students through rewards.

Principal Darlene Parsons said Vandy kicked off its PBIS initiative Tuesday during a school-wide assembly. The PBIS initiative, which stands for Positive Behavior Intervention and Support, is a nationally-used system which uses clear expectations and positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior.

“The purpose is to improve the school culture,” she said. “It helps them learn about the expectations here at Vandy. We’re all expecting the same behavior from all students at all times.”

The kickoff Tuesday included a DJ, activities and giveaways of T-shirts and wristbands.

“The whole idea of the kickoff was to get the students and staff excited about the program,” Parsons said.

Photo Provided Van Devender Middle School students cheer on their grade level during the PBIS initiative kickoff Tuesday at the school. The program encourages good behavior through a positive rewards system.

The Vandy initiative has been in the works for more than a year, she said, with teachers and administrators attending training sessions and deciding how PBIS would be implemented at the school.

Students can be awarded points for good behavior, and those points are tallied using an online system which can be accessed by students, parents and staff. Those points can then be redeemed for items or privileges, like free admission to a school dance or a special field trip.

Parsons said some teachers are creating their own “classroom stores” where students can redeem points.

“This puts the focus on the kids who are doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Parsons said. “Our goal is to increase learning in the building, and one of the ways we can do that is to help improve everyone’s behavior.”

Parsons said a PBIS committee at the school meets monthly to evaluate and tweak the program. The school is using social media to encourage parents to get involved in the initiative.

“The students and parents are really excited that they’ll be able to see these points online or with the app and know how they’re doing each day,” she said. “Our staff is very excited about this too. They’re full, 100 percent on board with this initiative.”