Positive behaviors earn prizes in Y'town schools

By AMANDA TONOLI

atonoli@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

City students now can earn prizes for showing good behavior.

Elementary-school students in Youngstown City Schools can earn Y-Bucks by demonstrating qualities of being respectful, responsible, engaged and safe during school.

Administrators, counselors, deans and special teachers – who teach art, music and more – are rewarding students who follow expectations.

“Any time we see a student being engaged, safe and respectful in the hallways or at lunch time, we give them a Y-Buck,” explained Danielle Mordocco, school counselor. “We give them out for students [who are] really on top of things and following directions.”

The Y-Bucks are good at Y-Stores in all the district’s elementary schools. Display cases are full of child-friendly items costing between 5 and 25 Y-Bucks.

By rewarding students for displaying good behaviors, students earn a sense of responsibility and leadership, said fellow counselor Lindsay DeVecchio.

Students earning Y-Bucks even encourage their friends to behave better so they can get them.

“It really means something to them,” she said.

Mordocco agreed.

“The big thing we focus on is that [Y-Bucks] are earned, not given,” she said.

Although the earning limit for students is normally 2 Y-Bucks at a time, DeVecchio said exceptions are made for special cases.

“We had an eighth-grade student with shoes that were kind of worn down and kids were making fun of him. One day, we had another student bring that student in a brand-new pair of shoes, just because,” DeVecchio said. “We all got emotional because it was so sweet and so kind. That was a special case where we got him a few extra

Y-Bucks and even a gift certificate.”

In all, Mordocco said she most enjoys students being able to learn from such a positive system.

“We are seeing behaviors change a lot, and it’s great,” she said. “Seeing students make this actual connection and thinking, ‘Oh, if I behave this way, I get a Y-Buck,’ and then getting into the habit of behaving this way all the time.”

DeVecchio said it’s heartwarming knowing students are excited to do the right thing all the time.