MACES students received Alpha Bucks in early February during homeroom to celebrate positive behavior. But is the Alpha Buck a good way to motivate students to become better?

Lorena Montenegro, frosh-soph student counselor, is an active participant in the School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support Committee (SWPBIS). The committee’s main purpose is to “…aim to celebrate student accomplishments through acknowledgement…” according to Montenegro. The committee contains Dr. Torres, the principal; Mr. Cueva, the vice principal; Mr. Collins, a teacher; Mr. Ramos, a school climate advocate; Ms. A, a teacher; Ms. Navarro, a coordinator; Ms. Montenegro; Emmanuel Solis, a junior; and Mr. Martinez, a parent.

The committee had the concept of the Alpha Buck for a while, and they believed that through the Alpha Buck, students will follow the core MACES pillars: being respectful, responsible, safe, and scholarly. This shows how the Alpha Buck’s purpose is to extol students for their achievements, which is an essential element to their success and pushes them to raise the bar.

Through the Alpha Buck, students are able to receive rewards for their good behavior and can pick up their prize on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. By having these awards, students will become more inclined to continue with their good acts, which shows how the Alpha Buck unites students to motivate students to maintain positive behavior, improve their academics, and build self-esteem. The committee has a variety of small treats to select from, which opens the window to continue collecting more Alpha Bucks. 

Nevertheless, SWPBIS is looking for more members and more student input! Students interested in sharing feedback about the Alpha Buck can complete the form posted on Schoology.