Wheeling Park High School Honored for Behavioral Outreach

Wheeling Park High School has earned recognition from a state agency for its behavioral outreach efforts to students.

WPHS has been named a 2020 West Virginia PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Spotlight School by the West Virginia Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center.

West Virginia PBIS is a collaboration between the West Virginia Department of Education Office of Special Education and Student Support and the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University. The center's goal is to achieve safer and more supportive school environments that meet the physical, social, emotional and academic needs of every child.

It seeks to decrease the total number of behavior issues in schools, while also trimming the number of bullying incidents and out-of-school suspensions. WPHS became a PBIS school about three years ago.

"PBIS is about teaching our kids specific expectations," Principal Meredith Dailer said. "These expectations are that students be positive, attentive and respectful, and that they keep going.

"Our teachers acknowledge when the students display those expectations. We reward those students."

The pandemic has created challenges for achieving and rewarding positive behavior, Dailer said.

Much of the outreach at WPHS in recent months has been initiated by Jill Maloney, school counselor and mental health specialist, she said. Throughout the pandemic, Maloney created a series of "Minute With Maloney" videos for students to help them with coping mechanisms and dealing with stress and anxiety.

"She always had an open Google hangout for students who needed support," Dailer said. "She would encourage them to do mental health check-ins on a weekly basis, and our counselors were always available to them throughout the week for anything they need.

"We really did a lot to connect with our kids, and help them to manage a difficult time."

She acknowledged the last year has been especially hard on young adults.

"It's very stressful for adults to manage all this change, so imagine being a teenager," she said. "You are trying to manage school and seeing your friends, and your extracurriculars have been taken from you.

"It has been challenging for our students. We feel that we have met the needs of our students, even when we can't see them everyday. We just hope they know someone is always here for them if they need anything," Dailer said.