Turkey Bowl gets a new meaning at this middle school
Wednesday - 11/18/2009, 8:15am ET
Everything about Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle School's bowling tournament was unusual.
The pin setters and ball returners were human. The lanes were in a school activity room. Each game consisted of just three, one-ball frames.
Oh, and the balls? Frozen turkeys.
Most importantly, teachers and administrators said, the bowlers were all well-behaved students who earned their spot on the lanes.
The event was presented Tuesday by the school's Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports committee. Through the program, staff members teach their students positive behavior expectations. There are consequences for unacceptable behavior and rewards for students modeling good behavior, assistant principal Anita Hairston said.
"Students that had no referrals or detentions for the fall term could buy a ticket for a dollar to bowl in the tournament," she said. "And this event has lots of fabulous prizes for the kids."
Several area businesses and school staff members donated the turkeys, which were bound in duct tape for the event. The turkeys will be given away and will not go to waste, Hairston said.
Sixth-graders were the guinea pigs in TJ Middle's inaugural tourney, modeled on similar events at area high schools, physical education teacher Anna Routzahn said. Seventh-graders are scheduled to get their turn today and eighth-graders will give it a whirl Thursday.
Each student was given a three-frame score sheet, but final tallies didn't seem to be a priority. Kids cheered for every strike no matter who threw the turkey -- not to be confused with accomplishing a turkey, which, in bowling lingo, is three strikes in a row. They laughed, clapped, cheered and jumped up and down throughout most of the event.
Georgiana Summers and Erin Lemonds, members of the school's Student Ambassadors, volunteered to help run the activity for their peers.
Georgiana immediately displayed her reward-winning good behavior.
Hairston asked her if she would like to help keep score or help reset the pins after each bowler.
"I'll do anything you'd like me to do," Georgiana replied.
"Well, what would you like to do," Hairston asked. "I want you to have some fun, too."
She let slip that she didn't know how to keep score, and decided to help reset the pins. She also ran the turkey back to the bowler at the end of each frame.
After each student had a turn, Hairston, Routzahn and guidance counselor Reginald Gunter tried their hand at hurling the frozen birds.
Hairston ran and gave Georgiana a high-five after the student knocked down all of the assistant principal's pins.
While the event might seem silly, Hairston and Routzahn said the results are anything but.
"Last year, at this time, we had 80 office referrals," Hairston said. "This year, we've had 24."
Students are striving to display good behavior and are reaping the rewards. The program works two ways. Students who display unacceptable behavior are subject to a five-step disciplinary process. Students modeling good behavior can earn TJ tickets from any faculty member in the building. Those tickets may be used to enter monthly raffles for a variety of items.
Special events, such as staff-student kickball and basketball games and the Turkey Bowl, are a big hit, Routzahn said.
The chance to interact with teachers outside their classroom roles is a big motivator, Routzahn and Hairston both said. Students look forward to the events and make sure they don't doing anything that would risk exclusion.
"We know these kinds of events are working," Hairston said. "Our students are motivated and their behavior is greatly improved."
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