On any given Friday morning, just hours before the weekend will begin, students dont necessarily expect to see their teachers rapping about good behavior in the school auditorium.

But last Friday, thats just what the seniors and juniors at Cranston High School West got to see as the student rollout of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS, program drew to a close.

Students filed into the auditorium as Thomas Rhetts song Life Changes blasted over the loudspeaker.

Im sure a lot of you have already heard about this video, and Im sure a lot of you have already heard about the points, Assistant Principal David Schiappa told the students. Today, youll learn all about it, and Im hoping you will take the lead on this and talk to the other students as well. Its a really cool program.

Schiappa introduced Eric Simpson and Bob Manning, who are two of the educators on the PBIS committee at Cranston West and two of many of the staff members who are featured in the schools now-famous YouTube video showing the cash value of good behavior at Cranston West. Students can earn points to be turned in for valuable prizes such as gift cards to local eateries, free prom tickets and even lunch with Mayor Allan Fung, thanks to many donations that have been received from community partners.

Manning and Simpson then began a comedic routine, which had the students laughing and relating to the behaviors being acted out, such as wearing hats and earbuds in school and drinking coffee in the building neither of which is on the list of good behaviors.

Manning told the students that although the program is new and is being rolled out near the end of their time at Cranston West, they have the opportunity to lead by example and leave a positive legacy behind.

Why did we get involved with this program? Manning asked Simpson.

Im a big believer in positive reinforcement, Simpson said. I like showcasing the good things people do, making sure they know theyre doing the right thing and try to keep them going in that direction.

Simpson emphasized the effect that the behavior of upperclassmen has on younger students who follow in their footsteps.

It matters to the younger groups how it is that you guys act and behave, he said. You certainly dont have as much time left here as some of the others, but what you do emanates throughout the hallways, and we are looking for you to be the leaders. A lot of you already have been.

The students then watched the humorous YouTube video, which demonstrated the ways in which students can and cant earn cash. Examples included coming to school on time, following directions in class and adhering to the schools behavior and learning expectations. There will also be weekly raffles with prizes for the students.

We want to motivate you to go above and beyond the call of duty, Manning said.

Both Manning and Simpson credited the media club and its advisor, Jay Jones, for their support and assistance in creating the video. They said that beginning Feb. 11 students would begin to receive points for the types of behaviors they saw modeled in the video. They will have personal QR codes given to them during their upcoming advisor period and will be able to use the codes to access their personal dashboards to track their earnings and prizes.

Anyone who would like to help support the PBIS program at Cranston West can make a donation. 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.