The Green Local Schools Board of Education used its January meeting to recognize students and staff and to highlight a districtwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) partnership that produced student artwork and a sticker and coloring-book contest with Starbucks and MASL.

Board members applauded students chosen as January students of the month from across the district. Presentations named Mara Watley (Greenwood, kindergarten), Logan Biller (Greene Primary), Kylie Gentry (Green Intermediate, sixth grade), Jack Noble (Green Middle School, seventh grade) and two seniors from Greene High School, Madison Cohen and Seamus Lee. Each student was introduced by a school representative who summarized classroom achievements, activities and future plans.

The board also presented a staff spotlight segment. A nomination read by a board member described Christine (district finance and special education support) as “conscientious and dependable.” Joanna Siebert, a Greene Middle School special education teacher, was recognized for tailoring instruction and mentoring colleagues. A third staff member, identified as Natalia, was honored for building relationships and leading student council work.

District Director of Student Services Joy Mitchell introduced a PBIS update and thanked community partners. "We are building a common language ... be safe, be kind, be responsible," said Erica Bauer, a school counselor who described PBIS as a pre-K through 12 initiative across buildings. Mitchell and Bauer credited James Keller of MASL and Starbucks with helping create an art project that engaged high school students and drew attention from other districts.

Students submitted designs that were turned into stickers and coloring-book pages. Organizers announced bronze sticker winners Sofia Bondarenko, Zeb Sukhalidido, Haley Yanya, London Glass and Sofia Crawford; silver winner Riley Beal; and gold winner Alina Pado. Riley Beal’s design will be used as the coloring-book cover; the book will include additional pages by Sofia Crawford, Jada Kogar and Mallory Gallucci. Mitchell said sticker prints will be distributed when voting for staff-of-the-month at local Starbucks locations begins.

Mitchell also said district staff and student teams presented the project at the National PBIS Conference in Chicago and were invited to discuss it on a podcast called “Expert Instruction.” She thanked the Green Schools Foundation and said Starbucks provided small prizes and treat boxes for participating students.

Board members and administrators closed the segment by thanking students, staff and community partners for supporting PBIS and district recognition programs.