The holiday season is a magical time for families, churches, communities, and schools. Not only is this a season to pause to celebrate the birth of Jesus and anticipate the excitement of a new year, it is also a time to relax and refresh before the spring semester begins.
The fall semester at PHS was special in a number of ways. We welcomed new staff members who are now fully ensconced in our Tribe. We held our first Chiefs Holiday Market and Fine Arts Showcase. This event offered students in art, agriculture, and engineering classes the opportunity to display items they created, sell those items, and fundraise for programs such as Rise Against Hunger and the Angel Tree Network. The PHS Concert Band provided Christmas music to add to the event’s ambiance while the Student Council sold hot chocolate.
During the fall semester, we also launched our T.R.I.B.E. Cards Incentive Program. This program is a positive way to encourage Pelahatchie students to “take pride in our Tribe.” The acronym TRIBE stands for the following:
- Trust: Firm belief in the reliability, truth, or strength of someone
- Respect: Deep admiration for someone elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements
- Integrity: Quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, moral uprightness
- Bold: Showing the ability to take risks; confident and courageous
- Enthusiastic: Having or showing intense and eager enjoyment, interest, approval
Our leadership team was intentional with the rollout of the cards. At the beginning of the school year, all students received a card. If students returned to Pelahatchie, they received a RED Card to welcome them back to school. If they were new to the school, they received a WELCOME Card. Each card offers incentives that students may redeem throughout the nine weeks. These cards focus on attendance, academic achievement, and behavior. Students who attend school regularly, perform well in their classes and on assessments, and have few behavior problems can Level Up at the beginning of the next term.
After each nine week period, the leadership team assesses each student and determines who will move to the next level. Additional levels include the Silver Card (2nd Nine Weeks), the Chieftain Card (3rd Nine Weeks), and the Tribe Card (4th Nine Weeks). The Tribe Card is elite and places students at this level in a drawing for a large prize that will be presented on Awards Day. This incentive program has helped promote the qualities that an employer seeks: a person who comes to work on time, does the job well, and is a team player. We are proud of our students who continue to meet the expectations so they can Level Up. After the holiday break, our faculty and staff look forward to passing out Chieftain Cards to those students who have earned them.
Finally, I want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year! Go Chiefs! Level Up!
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