STEP Students Move to Merit

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

December has been a busy and productive month for STEP students moving to Merit level in the Boys Town Specialized Classroom Management System, where students are taught prosocial skills through a curriculum that reinforces positive behaviors and teaches students targeted social skills using positive and negative points, and corrective teaching and class work.

Some of the Merit students are in their first year of the program and were able to take advantage of the Blue Light special. For that, they were able to earn 300,000 points in the first 10 days of school along with a few other conditions. Normally, a good day would be 35,000 points.

The students were not content to stay on Progress level so they worked to purchase an additional 100 bonds at 6,000 points each. They created a number of community service projects to further demonstrate their skills. Upon successful completion of the projects, they became the newest Merit level students at STEP.

Anthony Tifft of Fort Ann kicked off the Merit race by promoting and coordinating the Building E contribution to the annual SAEC food drive before Thanksgiving.

Joe Dick from Newcomb worked with Chef Matt Young and Chef Nick Zwart to raise money for a victim of mouth cancer.  Throughout the month of November, the chefs grew their beards so people could vote on who had the best beard in various categories. Both chefs were great sports and although both received several individual category awards, Chef Nick Zwart won the "Amazing Beard" award.

Skyler Jackson of Cambridge and Michael Reyes-Garcia of Glens Falls promoted a positive SAEC community when they organized a basketball tournament to raise funds for SAEC's weekend backpack program. The young men coordinated with Coaches Tony Griego and Dan Dineen to have a successful 3:3 tournament on December 7. With assistance from Instructor Georgianna Bull, the students also set up a concession stand which they staffed with other Progress level students. A great time was had at the tournament.