Fountain Hills Unified School District is in the second year of implementing Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), but the high school staff has found new ways to encourage positive behavior. All three schools have been rewarding positive behavior with Falcon Feathers, and now high school students can trade in their feathers for merchandise, snacks and more at the student store.

Fountain Hills High School has had a student store on campus before, but it used to be run by parent volunteers. The store will now be run by staff and student volunteers twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The opening of the student store was Wednesday, Dec. 1.

The store reopened the same day that the high school introduced the Falcon Prize Wheel, which was designed by administrative assistant Kathie Cook. Students exchange a Falcon Feather to spin for a chance at candy, drinks or extra Falcon Feathers. Each student who spins the wheel is also entered in a raffle for more prizes at the end of the day.

Alumni teacher Jeff Bonner ran the raffle station during lunch of the grand opening. According to him, most of the sales are low ticket items like three feathers for a soda. This keeps the price reasonable for treats, but big-ticket items like backpacks and jackets will cost 70 to 100 feathers, giving the students incentive to constantly be on their best behavior.

“It’s more than just a food store,” Bonner said. “It’s a Falcon Pride store, where if you’re doing the things we want to see, you can get everything you want.”

Behind the scenes, the new high school administration has addressed several concerns to ensure the student store would have a positive impact on the students. They did not want any possible controversy over students spending their own money on campus, and the administrators did not want the store to compete with the cafeteria selection.

The goal of the Falcon Feathers and PBIS is to reward actions that the school staff want to be exemplified and promote positive behavior schoolwide. The students were excited by the store and prizes, and one high school student has already asked to wear the Falcon mascot costume next time the store opens.