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Broadbrook Elementary launches 'Caught Being Pawsome' and 'Biscuit's Best' to boost attendance and behavior
Summary
Broadbrook Elementary introduced a schoolwide behavior recognition program, 'Caught Being Pawsome,' and an attendance incentive called 'Biscuit's Best Attendance Club' aimed at raising daily attendance to 95% and reducing chronic absenteeism below 10%. Staff said the programs include weekly draws, monthly photos with 'Biscuit' and family communication.
Broadbrook Elementary School staff described two new programs intended to improve student behavior and increase attendance across early grades.
At a board meeting, a Broadbrook presenter said the 'Caught Being Pawsome' positive-behavior program rewards students with paper paw prints for demonstrating expectations such as being safe, respectful and responsible. Paw-print names go into classroom buckets for weekly draws, monthly recognitions and a photo opportunity with a school mascot called Biscuit. The school also launched 'Biscuit's Best Attendance Club' to encourage daily attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism.
"We wanted to introduce to you two new programs that we've started at Broadbrook School to help cultivate a positive culture and attendance," the presenter said, describing classroom-level incentives and whole-school celebrations.
The presenter said the school aims for 95% daily attendance and a chronic-absence rate below 10%. They described a recent bingo event that involved 272 student participants and explained the district's chronic-absence definition (two or more absences in the year can qualify a student as chronically absent). The presenter said the school ended last year with about 12% chronic absenteeism and that a current figure cited in Q&A reached about 16.1%, noting the metric can change quickly with only a few missed days.
Board members asked for follow-up attendance reporting and noted Broadbrook's programs connect to the district's MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) process, which staff use to monitor and target supports for classes or individual students. The presenter said staff track discipline referrals and attendance weekly and monthly and bring monthly family letters and grade-level percentages to families.
Board members praised the initiative for involving staff and aligning with district goals on instruction and equity. Several members recommended bringing attendance and assessment graphs to parents in plain language and using school events to showcase progress.
The school said it will report back to the board with ongoing absenteeism data and promised continued communication with families.
