Front row from left are VW ASB President Ben Hays (dressed as Benjamin Washington for the theme “Favorite Historical Character”), Katie Turner (teacher), Rosabel Park (assistant principal, in the coyote costume), Lawrence LeBlanc (teacher) and Shelly Muller (teacher).

Second row from left are teachers Lisa Haug, Heidi Moreno, Elizabeth Rossi, Natalie Turner and Mike Jaffe with Principal Kristina Provost.

On March 30, Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School teachers and administrators kicked off its Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to the student body and attending parents at the monthly flag assembly. This school-wide initiative deliberately teaches and models behavioral expectations.

The Verdugo Woodlands’ mascot is a coyote and the acronym for the school’s Behavioral Statement of Purpose of HOWLS. The kickoff was a success with students howling and reciting the tenets of the statement. The school looks forward to fully implementing PBIS in the coming months.