I agree with you. Our school has the no report card policy, but I don't
follow it because I always figured that the kids who don't bring books back
are often precisely the ones who don't want report cards. We have a fine of
5 cents per day. I usually forgive fines of 50 cents or less. There are
always some who accumulate fines of $3 or more and some who eventually will
have to pay for the book. In my school it all eventually catches up with
them as seniors don't get to walk in graduation if they have outstanding
books or fines of any kind. Simply making students aware of this is often
enough to curb the bad behavior. This year I am trying another tactic which
is also designed to boost circulation. I have a running activity called
"Wednesday Winner." Every time a student checks out a book, he or she is
allowed to fill out a ticket for a drawing held every Wednesday. A student
with overdue books or fines cannot win. The Wednesday winner gets to select
one item from my "Goodie Box." I have a big plastic tub which I have labeled
Goodie Box with stick on bright letters and stocked with dollar store type
items--cool pens, pencils, book covers, candy, stress balls, key chains,
etc. Then I post the name of the week's winner in the announcements.
Marsha Redd
Librarian, Kelloggsville High School
Grand Rapids, MI
marsharedd@hotmail.com
Education is not a goal; it is a life-long process. Everyone is a student.
Everyone is a teacher.
----Original Message Follows----
From: Tish Carpinelli <carpinelli@LCMR.CAPEMAYSCHOOLS.COM>
Reply-To: Tish Carpinelli <carpinelli@LCMR.CAPEMAYSCHOOLS.COM>
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] SEC: Incentive for returning overdues
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 10:36:08 -0500
Colleagues-
I am really dismayed at our number of overdue books! On the one hand,
I'm sure glad that our circulation is consistently rising, but the
students aren't bringing the books back, so they aren't here when I need
to recommend them to others! Our school policy has always been that
students with overdue books do not receive their report cards. They are
also not allowed to check out any more more books if they have overdues
on their record. We have no fines. I know that some students do return
their books in order to get their report cards, but many other students
actually keep books so that they don't get their report cards! I'm
thinking of doing away with the "no report card" consequence and having
some sort of incentive for the students to return their overdues, such
as pizza party contest among classes that have no overdues, once per
marking period. I'd like to have a cheaper prize, but I don't think a
free piece of candy or something else inexpensive would work. I would
appreciate anyone who has had success in this area to share what worked
for them (or what didn't!) Thanks!
Tish Carpinelli, Media Specialist
Lower Cape May Regional H.S.
Cape May, NJ
carpinelli@lcmr.capemayschools.com
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