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Stephen Bell highlights new assistant principal, PBIS progress and early reading gains
Summary
Principal Ginger Keaton and Stephen Bell teachers told the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek school board the addition of an assistant principal, new PBIS tiers, sensory supports and adoption of the Wit & Wisdom ELA curriculum helped kindergarten reach school-level growth and achievement benchmarks for the first time.
Stephen Bell Elementary Principal Ginger Keaton told the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District Board of Education on May 5 that adding an assistant principal, expanding positive behavior supports and launching a new K–5 English language arts program have coincided with unusually strong early-grade results.
“The students and the staff, and I know the staff would agree, we’ve all benefited from having another administrator in the building,” Keaton said, describing the first-year role of Assistant Principal Heather Hebrink. Teachers and students gave examples ranging from more visible morning coverage to an expanded PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program.
The changes include a PBIS tier‑1 system with a daily “check-in, check-out” routine, a golden‑ticket store and an expanded “Soar Shop” that now offers experience-based rewards. Rachel Barker, a second‑grade teacher, described how classroom teams use collective ticket drives to teach cooperation: “It opens up that conversation for that focus 3 language of, you know, could you spare 5 tickets so that the whole class can benefit.”
Staff also described a new sensory room used for short breaks and adaptive physical‑education activities, a kindergarten kickoff event to ease new students’ transitions, and an effort to keep primary class sizes small. Jennifer Huff, the kindergarten representative on the building team, said the school had 10 first‑grade teachers this year, which reduced class sizes and let teachers “reach those small groups of students.”
Teachers and Keaton credited the district’s recent investments in curriculum and foundations programs for academic progress. Keaton said the school’s kindergarten cohort “made it over the line” this year; kindergarten, first and second grades are now rated “high growth, high achievement” on the school’s internal indicator. Keaton also noted the district-funded Wit & Wisdom ELA materials had been a “heavy lift” but appear to be contributing to improved decoding and writing.
Keaton and staff tied those instructional and behavioral efforts to school culture activities such as a “fun run” fundraiser and an expanded role for parent volunteers and cafeteria staff in PBIS events. Keaton said the fun run had helped fund field trips and other student experiences and encouraged board members to attend the May 8 event.
The presentation closed with an outline of next‑year goals: sustaining check-in/check-out routines, building a tier‑2 support team and piloting small social‑skills groups for students who need targeted intervention.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation items; the segment was informational.
