LaGRANGE — For the second year in a row, the staff at Callaway Middle School are combining lessons in finance, banking and shopping to teach students about good behavior.

The school reopened its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports store, or PBIS, on Wednesday to a crowd of eager students. The Cavalier Bank also opened its doors for business as well.

“We have such great business supporters and are very appreciative of Jackson Heating and Air and CB&T for all their help last year,” stated Melissa Trimeloni, principal of Callaway Middle School.

Dale Jackson, owner and partner of Jackson Heating and Air, manned the store on Wednesday and helped students decide whether to buy prizes or save their hard-earned cash.

“I was excited to see the kids already had money to deposit in the First Cavalier Bank, even though they have only been in school for two weeks,” Jackson said. “You can really tell the program is working and will be successful when I overhear older students explain to new students how the bank works and how much money they will earn on interest.”

The in-school PBIS store is based around a core set of principles that students must adhere to when they are in a classroom, hallways, cafeteria or outside on campus. The three ideals are: cooperation, mindfulness and success.

When teachers and staff see a student exhibit one or all of these behaviors, the child is rewarded with Cavalier Cash. The students can spend the money at the PBIS store on items such as school supplies, jewelry, nail polish, fishing poles, footballs, candy, a bike and more.

The kids also have the option to place their money in the Cavalier Bank, run by CB&T, where their Cavalier Cash will gain interest in a savings account.

The bank allows students to learn how to manage their money responsibly. But the entire program helps kids with behavioral issues be more respectful to their fellow peers and to the staff. The goal is to have the students’ good behavior become second nature — and it seems to be working.

“Through using the PBIS framework, we have been able to substantially reduce our office discipline referrals and it has given us a vehicle to improve overall school culture,” explained Trimeloni.

“This program helps give our students real world experience and also helps them to see how things they learn in a textbook work in the adult world later in life,” said Jackson. “I hope that other businesses will step up around the district and decide to support our other schools and their PBIS program. … This is another example of how local businesses can and should step up to help support our students.”

Last year, five other schools in Troup County also participated in the PBIS program: Berta Weathersbee Elementary, Ethel Kight Elementary, Franklin Forest Elementary, Gardner Newman Middle School and The HOPE Academy.