SURFS Up at Macdonough School
Teaching behavioral expectations and rewarding students for following them is the focus for our school-wide positive behavioral support program. Through the acronym SURFS, students and staff have a common understanding of expectations for behavior in a variety of settings.
S=Self-Responsibility
U=Understanding
R=Respect
F=Fairness
S=Safety
We believe that introducing, modeling, and reinforcing positive social behavior is an important part of a student’s educational experience.
Each month at Macdonough School, the school holds a community assembly to celebrate the successes of the students. The assembly is preceded by a community march to school down High Street (Thank you to the MIddletown Police and Fire for closing intersections for us!). Families are invited to share in the celebration in recognition of their role in raising children who make appropriate academic and social behavioral choices.
At the assembly, we recognize the following things:
1. New staff members
2. New babies born into our community (They are given a book)
3. New students to our community (They are given a book)
4. Classes who demonstrated SURFS Behaviors in each of our specials (music, art, library, technology, and the cafeteria)
5. Classes who recycled the most.
6. Classes who ran the most (We are competing in the Billion Mile Race - currently ranked #1 in CT and 75 in the nation!)
7. Students in each classroom who demonstrated SURFS Behavior.
Books focusing on SURFS UP themes (just click on the cover to hear the book read aloud):
Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns to Listen - Howard Binkow
The Juice Box Bully - Bob Sornson
Recess Queen - Alexis O'neil
Kindness is Cooler Mrs. Ruler - Margery Cuyler
Miss Nelson is Missing - Harry G. Allard Jr.
Manners at School- Carrie Finn
Manners in the Lunchroom - Amanda Doering
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud
Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
