At Cranston High School West, the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, secondary-level pilot program has been well underway for a number of weeks.

Most recently, “The Nest” has officially opened for business, allowing the students to use the points they have earned through the program on a wide variety of options – including gift cards to local businesses, Cranston West logo items and special event items such as prom tickets or lunch with Mayor Allan Fung.

In order to earn points, the students must meet or go above and beyond the set expectations on their RESPECT matrix, which lays out the school’s expectations for all areas of a student’s day, from the classroom to the lunchroom and in the hallways. Students can also earn points for having perfect attendance each week and by attending after school extracurricular events.

The downloadable PBIS rewards student app allows students to check their dashboard regularly to see how many points they have accumulated and how they have earned them.

“The Nest” is open during the student lunch periods and is restocked regularly. Additionally, students periodically have the opportunity to participate in raffles, utilizing some of their accumulated points for a chance to win a prize, such as this month’s raffle for tickets to an April 19 concert at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.

Teachers also participate in a version PBIS at Cranston West and are able to do their shopping at “The Perch.” It stocks rewards that are appealing to adults, such as gift cards from local businesses and eateries.

The PBIS program relies on donations from the local community in order to keep “The Nest” and “The Perch” stocked with items for the students. Monetary donations, gift cards or other items from anyone in the community can be sent to David Schiappa.

For more information about donating, contact him directly at 270-8521 or

dschiappa@cpsed.net.