Behavior Supports & Interventions

  • Second Step Character Curriculum

    All students (K1-6th) participate in the Second Step Character Curriculum.  This curriculum meets the requirements of the state Bullying regulations. It is designed to support social and emotional learning and problem solving through role play and case studies.  In addition, the curriculum is a foundation for the Sumner’s Positive Behavior Support System

    Positive Behavior Support System

    The Sumner Behavior Support System provides opportunities for students to make positive, productive choices about their behaviors. The support system provides teachers with a structure to assist students with their choices.

    Through the behavior support system it is our goal that students will:

    •       Seek positive attention
    •       Become positive role models
    •       Learn how to solve conflicts safely and respectfully
    •       Feel confident and safe in their classrooms
    •       Understand that struggling through challenges is part of the learning process

    The school-wide positive behavior system is Bucket Fillers.  Students fill their buckets with pompoms representing positive choices and efforts. Every student has a bucket in her/his classroom that they are working to fill. At the beginning of the school year, teachers and students work together to clarify classroom/school expectations. Students learn what behaviors are expected and can earn them a pompom for their bucket.

    Bucket Filling has become one of the most popular and effective character development programs for schools. It is taught in school districts, at conferences, and shared on blogs and educational websites around the world. Take a minute to Google® "bucket filling" and discover how much discussion there is on the subject. Bucket filling focuses on the positive; it's easily understood, and simple to implement. And, when another successful character-development program is already in place, Bucket Filling enhances that program. Every character trait (kindness, respect, responsibility, trust, fairness, and citizenship) becomes more tangible when the action is described as filling a bucket. Ask your child about what they are doing to fill their classroom bucket!

    School-wide Interventions

    Settling Space
    Each classroom has a Settling Space that is labeled.  This is not a punitive tool. A settling space is an opportunity for a student to step away from the larger group and collect him/herself without leaving the classroom.  If a student is not able to rejoin the group or his/her behavior continue or escalate a new intervention is required.

    Taking a Break
    Taking a break is a teacher request for students to step outside the classroom and gain self-control over behaviors.  Once a child uses the Take a Break option, he/she will need to verbally process with the teacher requesting the break.

    Buddy Room
    Every teacher has a Buddy Room and a back up Buddy Room established.  Teacher requests for a student to gain self-control in a supervised environment with written processing.  

    Crisis Intervention
    A student will be removed from his/her classroom when he/she exhibits the following behaviors: unsafe to oneself or others, and when the classroom learning environment cannot be continued.  If there are concerns of neglect/abuse we are mandated to report through Department of Children and Families.

    Bullying
    The Sumner School is committed to providing our students with a safe, nurturing environment where students can be successful both academically and socially.  The Sumner School follows the Boston Public Schools Prevention and Intervention Plan which can be found on the main page of the Boston Public Schools website (www.bostonpublicschools.org)