Positive Behavior & Support

Our approach brings together Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Bobcat TRACKS, social-emotional learning, kindness and restorative practices.

Bobcat TRACKS

Bobcat TRACKS provides a shared set of expectations for our entire school community. Students learn what these expectations mean and have opportunities to practice them throughout the school day.

Truthful

Be honest, take responsibility for your actions and own your choices.

Respectful

Listen to others, use kind words, respect personal space and treat others the way you would want to be treated.

Accountable

Follow directions, complete your responsibilities, care for shared spaces and make choices that support learning.

Collaborative

Work as a team, include others, share and contribute positively to the group.

Kind

Help others, use caring words and actions and make sure everyone feels welcome.

Safe

Follow school expectations, stay aware of your surroundings and make choices that keep yourself and others safe.

Students practice TRACKS throughout the school day, including in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, the cafeteria, playground, assemblies and during arrival, dismissal and transportation. Teachers and staff reinforce what these expectations look like in different settings so students experience clear and consistent expectations across our school.

Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, is a schoolwide framework for creating positive, predictable and safe learning environments. A key part of PBIS is explicitly teaching students social, emotional and behavioral expectations rather than simply expecting students to already know them.

At Larkspur, that means helping students understand what positive behavior looks like, recognizing and reinforcing positive choices, and providing additional teaching and support when students need it.

Through PBIS, we:

• Teach clear and consistent expectations
• Reinforce positive choices and behaviors
• Help students develop social and emotional skills
• Respond to challenges as opportunities for learning
• Create consistency across classrooms and shared spaces
• Build a school culture centered on relationships, belonging and learning

Spreading Kindness

Kindness is one of our Bobcat TRACKS expectations, but it is also something we intentionally practice as a school community.

Larkspur uses resources from the Random Acts of Kindness program to help students strengthen important social-emotional skills. Through developmentally appropriate lessons and activities, students explore concepts such as empathy, compassion, respect and caring for others.

These experiences give students practical ways to build healthy relationships and make a positive difference in their classroom, school and community.

Learn more about Random Acts of Kindness

Restorative Approaches

Mistakes and conflicts are part of growing up. When they happen, our goal is to help students understand what occurred, recognize how their choices affected others and determine what they can do to move forward.

Restorative conversations allow students to reflect on questions such as:

• What happened?
• What were you thinking or hoping would happen?
• Who was affected by what happened?
• What can you do to repair the harm?
• What could you do differently next time?

Taking time for these conversations allows staff to better understand what happened while helping students reflect, take responsibility and develop skills they can use the next time they encounter a difficult situation.

Time to Ponder

For repeated or more serious behavior concerns, students may complete a Time to Ponder reflection.

The reflection allows students to slow down and think through what happened, how their choices affected others and what they can do differently moving forward.

Families are an important part of this process. When a Time to Ponder reflection is sent home, we encourage families to talk with their child about what happened and partner with us in helping students learn from the experience.

Growing Together

Our goal extends beyond positive behavior at school. We want Larkspur students to develop skills they can carry with them into their friendships, families and communities.

Through Bobcat TRACKS, PBIS, kindness and restorative practices, students learn how to solve problems, build healthy relationships, take responsibility for their choices and care for the people around them.

It's all part of what it means to be a Bobcat:

Truthful. Respectful. Accountable. Collaborative. Kind. Safe.