3. Improve even the lowest achieving schools GivaGeta Smiles™ brings hands on,
with effective tools for early learners. interactive and fun tools with important
Get attention, engage kids and create teachable moments. character traits that kids remember and helps
Start your morning and class meetings with a quick sustain them throughout their lives. Now is
character building activity that creates positive energy for the time to turn around our schools for the
less disruptions in your classroom. The World’s Kindest better. The kids are our future. It’s never
Playing Cards™ make it easy. You’ll teach the three R’s, too early to teach youth about character and
plus positive character traits in a fun filled way. develop the whole child.
4. • High school dropouts are incarcerated It’s never too early to start talking to kids proactively about character. GivaG-
at three times the rate of graduates.1 eta Smiles™ makes it easy for educators and parents with interactive tools that
• There is $155 million more in lifetime open the dialogue and gets kids talking about respect, responsibility, trust,
healthcare costs for each class of high forgiveness, understanding and more. Kids build developmental assets and 1 Based on the 2011 report from the Connecticut
school dropouts.1 learn valuable lessons in a fun filled way that supports their social, emotional Commission on Educational Achievement.
and cognitive learning. So make it fun and get kids to think critically about
character before, not after.
5. Promising Practices Improving School Climate using Inquiry Based
Learning Activities with reflection.
“Thank you Jim for presenting this to our PBIS team. These cards are
colorful, inspirational and fun for our students and adults. We have recently
ordered more kits and have been enjoying the meaningful conversations these
cards help spark between students and teachers, as well as students and students.”
~ Melissa Perkins, Waterbury Public Schools
Posting on GivaGeta Facebook Wall
6. Struggling to get middle level students to talk? The students are more willing to participate because it is a
movement activity and your giant cards [The Educational
“I am always looking for different ways to help students
Kindness™ edition of The World’s Kindest Playing Cards™]
work through issues. I found it’s a real cool, fun way
are a great way to be interactive and work through issues.”
[for students] to learn about themselves. It’s a different
approach, to talk about core values. I get a lot of positive ~ Shannon Russell
Connecticut LCSW of East Hartford Middle School
feedback. They are engaged right away. It becomes a fun Social Worker in the Students’ Assistance Center
activity for students to interact with each other.
9. If you are one of the teacher’s favorite students, you probably get the
benefit of the doubt of an A rather than an A minus. But let’s face it,
at times students rub teachers the wrong way and are graded harder.
The Solution:
Tell a campfire story and teach heartfelt forgiveness in
a FUN and memorable way.
10. “It was very successful,” said Ann Marie Cullinan, Assistant Superintendant
Curriculum and Instruction. Very positive outcomes to improve school
climate were indicated by Waterbury Public Schools School Climate Team
at the April 7, 2011 Train of Trainers GivaGeta workshops. Each PBIS team
analyzed and reviewed their TIC and SET results. The team then came up with
next steps for their school’s PBIS team focusing on tier I, II and III interventions.
Creating Successful and Sustainable Interventions
“It was incredible because there was so much synchronization of
what Dr. Sugai said about PBIS and Jim Cantoni’s GivaGeta Train
the Trainer workshop presentation. It was very positive and
interactive.”~ Waterbury Public Schools PBIS team member
Waterbury, CT PBIS GivaGeta Workshop Survey Results:
95.4% (124 of 130) of the School Climate Team learned how to:
• Build community by focusing on the positive
• Teach students how to create a positive and constructive climate
in school
• Use the materials for Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports
• Educate the whole person and infuse character education into
existing curriculum
• Use the materials to reduce the chances of bullying
• Use the materials to develop skills for the 21st century in students
• Get students to interact and learn from each other
• Get students and teachers to interact and learn from each other
Dr. George Sugai Jim Cantoni
Professor of Special GivaGeta Co-Founder
Education, Director and Author of
of the Center for “Give Teamwork ...
Behavioral Education Get Results™”
& Research
