SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- Any teacher will tell you that getting students to behave in the classroom isn't always easy. Thanks to a program at Weller Elementary, teachers now have a helping hand.
For Holly Tucker it was a stuffed animal.
For Caleb Chereji it was something a little more practical--hand sanitizer and a composition notebook. But he's certainly eying something else in the near future--a soccer ball.
As the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. In this case Weller Elementary students are earning good behavior dollars.
"The kids could earn; it would improve their behavior. It would meet their basic needs. They would be making choices," explained Weller Elementary Principal Marilyn Monroe.
It's called the Cents of Pride program. It rewards children for making positive choices. In return they get a chance to purchase items in the school store.
"We have kids that will save for weeks and weeks and weeks and buy a bicycle," said Cents of Pride volunteer Judy Lewis.
While toys are popular, other items certainly fly off the shelves.
"Hygiene items are huge. Snack items are huge," Monroe said. "They're getting things that you can tell they may not have at home."
The items aren't always for the student.
"They've always got grandparents, parents, or aunts and uncles in mind. They buy gifts," said Lewis.
