Simple acts, big rewards
Enjoying a cold Ziggi’s Coffee treat, American Academy middle schooler David Hodges’ empty demerit card won him and his guest, Ryan Bennett, free time outside of school with School Resource Officer Deputy Eric Rhymer. Left to right: Deputy Rhymer, Ryan Bennett and David Hodges.
Merit rewards at American Academy – Castle Pines function as positive reinforcement motivating students to strive for higher academic achievement and positive behavior. On the other hand, students gain demerits for things like not having the correct supplies, using inappropriate language and uniform violations.
The merit program was created by School Resource Office Deputy Eric Rhymer. He believes in a program to create a positive and memorable experience with students as an acknowledgment of perseverance toward excellence.
“People will forget what you said, they’ll forget what you did, but they’ll never forget the way you made them feel,” is a quote from Maya Angelou that resonated with Deputy Rhymer.
Regardless of demerits, all middle school students are rewarded with a trimester party where they can “purchase” various items to enjoy using the merit system. Recently, students enjoyed building their own ice cream bar. The number of merits students had earned provided them with toppings for their ice cream.
The students who achieve zero demerits put their card into a drawing for a golf cart ride and special treat at Ziggi’s Coffee with Deputy Rhymer. Card drawings are done monthly with one card drawn for each grade level to receive the off-campus ride.
“The merit reward program was all Deputy Rhymer’s idea,” said Erin Dill, dean of students. “He is very generous with his time and creates fun experiences for our hard-working kids!”
By Julie Matuszewski
