Helena Flats students are the chiefs of the Montana Behavioral Intiative.

Although the initiative was implemented in the school several years ago, the program went by the wayside.

Superintendent Ann Minckler wanted to change that and decided to generate schoolwide enthusiasm with a parade.

“We’re getting kids set up for behavioral success, telling them what we expect rather than reacting to behavior,” Minckler said.

The parade was the idea of a Montana Behavioral Initiative site team of six Helena Flats School teachers, a team that formed this year. Sally Newberry, Helena Flats School Title I and band teacher is a member of the team, which is tasked with creating school guidelines on teaching positive behaviors and expectations to students in a fun way.

To help spread awareness, students memorized the chief codes of conduct for the Montana Behavioral Intiative: Be respectful, responsible, dedicated and safe. Newberry and team members went around the school this month asking students on the spot to recite the codes of conduct rewarding them with gold coins.

More than 500 gold coins were collected in a jar. Once the jar was full, students were surprised Thursday with classroom visits from Minckler, who told them they would create floats for a  parade the next day.

On Friday afternoon, the school was abuzz with energy and excitement as kindergarten- through eighth-grade students built parade floats. Each class was given materials, a wagon and a spring theme.

Julie Fiske’s fourth-graders had the theme of birds. Fourth-grader Joshwa McGee pulled up a bird mask from his face to recite the Montana Behavioral Intiative codes while his classmates fluttered around the room gluing feathers to cardboard wings and tacking crumpled brown paper to their wagon to mimic a nest.

McGee said he earned a couple of coins the day before. He said the four codes teach people to be nice to each other at school.

Eighth-grader Rebekah Isles was helping Jane Ellison’s first- and second-graders cut out construction-paper wings for their butterflies float theme. Isles said she thinks the codes make a difference.

“Kids rely on each other do what they’re told and get it done,” Isles said.

While the Montana Behavioral Intiative teaches positive behaviors, Helena Flats has two other programs to improve school climate, including Olweus, an anti-bullying program.

Last year, the school implemented Character Counts Education Program. Character Counts teaches character traits such as trustworthiness, fairness, caring and citizenship.

 At the end of the parade route in the gym, after students walked around the school in front of  parents, Minckler reminded the students:

“Be respectful, be responsible and go to your classroom to clean up.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].