This year at HC, the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Committee has implemented new policies and procedures. Elizabeth Inman, a teacher on the PBIS Committee, runs a store in her classroom twice a week where students can use their focus taps, which translate into eBucks, to buy items.

“Students get focus taps [from teachers] for demonstrating the schoolwide DEVILS expectations: Determined, Engaged, Valued, Inspired, Leaders, and Successful,” Inman said. “Focus taps are given through EOS, the Employability Operating System.”

Teachers have been finding new occasions to reward students with focus taps. For example,  some teachers distribute focus taps for review activities, while others reward them once a week. 

“There’s one teacher who gives one [focus-tap] every period for students following his expectations,” Inman said. “It works for the teacher to manage classroom expectations. There’s another teacher who does Focus-Tap Fridays, which helps her remember.” 

Positive incentives aren’t new to Henry Clay–students may remember the pre-COVID Devil Dollars, which served a similar purpose. 

“The eBucks store is a work in progress,” Inman said. “The PBIS committee has been talking about having a store for years.”

But this year is the first time the store has been open at HC.

“I think the student response [has overall been pretty positive],” Inman said. “Students who come to the eBucks store are excited.”

Inman reported that about 180 students have visited the store to purchase items, spending approximately 2800 eBucks. 

Despite a positive student response, the PBIS Committee has run into a few problems implementing new incentives at HC. Notably, there isn’t a universal system for distributing focus taps.

“There are a handful of teachers who are giving a lot [of focus taps],” Inman said. 

Although there are ten to twenty teachers consistently giving focus taps, it’s easy for teachers to forget. But while some teachers may forget, others may not see the purpose.

“Seniors definitely have the lowest numbers of eBucks,” Inman said, “because teachers just think that seniors should do what they’re supposed to. It seems like I have the most freshmen coming to the eBucks store.”

Even though some students visit the store more frequently, all student input is important in order for the store to run. 

“We put out a survey through advisories to ask what kind of food students want,” Inman said. “Suggestions from students are welcome.”

The eBucks store runs on donations, which means that it relies on the generosity of others to keep going. 

“So far, it’s just been teacher [donations],” Inman said. “I started an Amazon wishlist that I sent out to teachers. Several teachers bought stuff.” 

However, the store can’t operate without donations. Even more, the store can’t expand. In the future, Inman hopes to have an online ordering form to reach even more students. For now, students can buy candy, snacks, HC gear, and other items at the eBucks Store outside of the Counseling Office on Tuesday-Thursday mornings from 8:00-8:20. 

If you are interested in donating to the store, you can purchase items from Inman’s Amazon wishlist, accessible at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2AXCFO01E8UET?ref_=wl_share.