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Riverview Elementary students run 'Palace Pay' classroom economy and ambassador program to boost attendance and leadership
Summary
Riverview Elementary principal and staff presented the school’s student ambassadors program and a classroom-economy system called Palace Pay. Board members praised the program for improving attendance, behavior and financial literacy among sixth-graders.
Riverview Elementary staff presented a student-ambassador program and a classroom-economy system known as Palace Pay at the Hamilton City Board of Education meeting on Oct. 9.
Anne Marie Barth, principal at Riverview Elementary, said the ambassadors are sixth-graders chosen for steady grades, strong attendance and role-model behavior; Nikki Bowling, a sixth-grade ELA teacher, described how the school recruits ambassadors through an application and staff recommendation process and expands the group each quarter. "We are looking for kiddos who have consistently good grades, also good behavior," Barth said.
Bowling described duties for student ambassadors — recycling, watering plants, greeting and directing parents during conferences, staffing concession stands at events, tutoring younger students, and serving as bus captains to assist younger riders. The ambassadors also receive extra Palace Pay earnings for event work, Bowling said.
Palace Pay is a classroom-economy system the school introduced last year. Students receive a biweekly "paycheck" for on-time attendance and job duties, maintain a ledger, and can spend on items in a school store. The program includes fines for disciplinary referrals, monthly ‘‘rent’’ payments for desks and computers, and occasional bonuses tied to class achievements via ClassDojo. Barth said last year some students saved more than $100 in Palace Pay and the school held an end-of-year auction for saved earnings.
Board members praised the program for teaching budgeting, rewarding attendance and reducing referrals. Barth said sixth grade had the fewest office referrals in the building last year. Vice President Davidson called Palace Pay a creative way to address chronic attendance issues by rewarding students for showing up, and another board member noted the program's potential to teach early financial responsibility.
A short video of student ambassadors accompanied the presentation; students in the clip described ambassadors as role models who are "respectful, responsible, and somebody that can be relied on to help get things done." The board thanked principal and staff for the presentation and encouraged continued use and evaluation of the program.
