Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

12/19/07

NEWS RELEASE
Dick Scobee Elementary School Building "Wall of Respect"

“Let me get the door for you.” “Go ahead before me.” “May I help you with that?” These are just a few of the comments Dick Scobee Elementary School students are sharing with each other throughout the school day.

At the beginning of the school year, Dick Scobee principal Greg Brown decided to kick off the “Building a Wall of Respect” program after teacher Beth Raines suggested a similar concept to Mr. Brown. “I thought it was a great idea and a great way to encourage kids to start thinking about others,” says Mr. Brown.

Essentially the students earn “Caught Being Respectful!” tickets from any staff member who witnesses them being kind, respectful or considerate. Mr. Brown emphasizes that the Building a Wall of Respect program encourages pay-it-forward type behaviors, not necessarily good behaviors. “Holding the door open for others; picking up trash; letting someone else go first in line are all behaviors worthy of a Caught Being Respectful! ticket,” says Mr. Brown. Once a student earns two tickets, he or she redeems them for a paper brick that says, “I was caught!” The students take the “bricks” home to share with their parents and to decorate. Then the decorated bricks are added to the “Wall of Respect” in Dick Scobee’s kitchen/lunchroom.

Just the other day a student on the way to school crashed on his bike. Two fellow classmates saw the accident and immediately helped the student up and walked him and his bike to school. The students even led him to the health room to receive medical attention. “The students have really bought into the activity; it’s really exciting to see them reach out to each other,” exclaims Mr. Brown. Now Mr. Brown frequently hears how students are only a ticket away from earning their brick, or that they just earned their brick. Some students already have four bricks on the Wall of Respect.

In no time, one full side of the kitchen/lunchroom will be plastered with bricks, which, according to Mr. Brown, means students will have paid it forward two times the number of bricks. In three short months the program has not only created a colorful mural in the kitchen/lunchroom, but it has also inspired the student body to think about others first. “It is really inspiring to see!” remarks Mr. Brown.

For more information contact Amy Spence, public information officer, at (253) 931-4713.