DECATUR — Sixty middle-school students who earned a spot in the Blue and Gold Club traveled to Branson for a rewards trip in May.

Teachers formed the Blue and Gold Club in December as an incentive program to encourage positive behavior, citizenship and academic improvements, according to curriculum specialist Dawn Stewart.

Students were awarded points for good behavior and turning their homework in on time.

“It’s good because there are kids that may not be able to be proficient or advanced on standardized tests.

But if they do their work and behave well, they can be rewarded for that,” Stewart said.

“I definitely saw an improvement in turning their work in. And as a result, their grades went up in math. It helped them behave better,” said Tracy Howard, who teaches sixth- and seventh-grade math.

Many of the students had never been to Branson and might not have had a chance to go without the rewards trip, according to Stewart. Each student received a ticket to Silver Dollar City, a meal ticket for inside the park and a meal at McDonalds on the way home.

The students raised a third of the money required for the trip by selling candy in February and March.

The rest of the money was donated by local businesses, including the Decatur State Bank, Decatur General Store, Gallery Cafe, Nichols Family Farms, Walmart and Simmons Foods, Howard said.

“We really want to thank our sponsors in the community that gave so generously to our trip,” Howard said.

Stewart and Howard said they were pleased with the results from the Blue and Gold Club program and plan to continue the rewards strategy next year.

“The students are really excited about the opportunity to go, and they’re looking forward to going next year,” Stewart said.

News, Pages 2 on 06/02/2010