Dan McCarty Middle School Rewards 6th Graders With Supplies, Lunches Through PBIS Program

Dan McCarty Middle School's sixth-grade team is using an in-school reward store to keep students motivated and stocked with supplies as the school year enters its final stretch.

The program, part of the school's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiative, allows sixth graders to earn "Eagle Bucks" — the school's internal currency — by demonstrating responsibility, respect, effort, and commitment to learning. Every few weeks, students redeem those bucks at a PBIS supply store stocked with school supplies, specialty lunch experiences, and other student-selected items the team purchases through Amazon.

The sixth-grade team timed this round of the store to address a familiar mid-year challenge: students running low on supplies and beginning to mentally check out ahead of spring break. By offering practical rewards — pencils, notebooks, and other classroom essentials — alongside high-interest perks such as an "Epic Lunch" experience, the team aimed to bridge the motivational gap that typically widens this time of year.

The PBIS model, widely adopted in Florida schools, ties positive reinforcement directly to daily behavior and academic habits rather than grades alone. At Dan McCarty, the sixth-grade team has tailored that framework to meet students where they are, making the reward store feel less like a prize wheel and more like a tool to sustain the conditions students need to learn. A classroom short on pencils is a classroom primed for distraction — and the team's approach treats that reality head-on.

For families, the initiative offers reassurance that the school is actively monitoring whether students have what they need to finish the quarter strong. Parents whose children participate in the store may notice their sixth grader coming home with replenished supplies — a quiet sign that the school is watching and investing.

The sixth-grade team at Dan McCarty expects to continue PBIS store events through the remainder of the school year. Families seeking more information about the Eagle Bucks program or upcoming store dates can contact the school directly through St. Lucie Public Schools' communication channels.

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