Students at Hunter High Take Pride to a New Level

By Aimee L. Cook | [email protected]

West Valley - Hunter High School has adopted a unique way to get students to do their best, not just academically but in matters of developing character as well. Students caught exhibiting good behavior, such as picking up trash, are given a “Pride” coupon. These golden tickets can buy certain rewards, like hats and sweatshirts, or they can be saved and entered to win the biggest reward: a car.

“This is another way to reward kids other than for grades,” Erin Tanner, assistant principal, said. “We use this as a positive behavior system. Not all kids are motivated by grades, so the goal here is to find another way to get kids to come to school and to behave at school – reward for the good instead of just punish for the bad.” 

Forty students who had coupons were called down during the assembly and played minute-to-win-it type games so everyone gets something, even a candy bar. The students keep moving up until they are eliminated or in the final drawing for the car. 

Two cars have been donated and given away to students so far within the Pride Program. Scott Watson, the electronics teacher, donates his own cars to give away. 

“The PT’s were my own cars,” Watson said. “I’ve been driving PT Cruisers for more than a decade now and decided to replace my early PT Cruisers with newer ones. I donate them to the school, because I would rather see the cars become an inspiration than recoup a few dollars. The car given away in December was a 2004 model. The nicest of the PT Cruisers is the car being given away this spring before the end of the school year. It’s a highly customized 2007 model.”