Shadow Ridge High School has recently begun to offer exciting new rewards to students with the introduction of the Ridge Way Store, a storefront tied to the school’s core values of Respect, Integrity, Discipline, Growth, and Empowerment (RIDGE). Designed to foster and instill good values into students, the program encourages students to demonstrate these values while being rewarded for their efforts.
The Ridge Way Store is a new addition that was added to the school near the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. Shadow Ridge Learning Strategist, Joyce Fowlie explains how the idea came to life, stating, “We have a Restorative Justice team at our school that consists of administration, teachers, and support staff. We all came up with the idea and implemented it in hopes to focus on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports,” stated Fowlie.
The storefront is fueled by Shadow Ridge’s new Mustang Bucks reward system. Students earn Mustang Bucks for engaging in behaviors which reflect the RIDGE values and can redeem them at the store for various exciting prizes.
“The purpose of the Ridge store is to focus on positive behavior and even further the behavior that exemplifies the RIDGE way. We want to reward the behavior that envelops our school culture,” states Fowlie.
Students have many opportunities to earn Mustang Bucks, as seen by the following statistics provided by Fowlie. “2,621 students have been given at least 1 point. There has been a student who has received close to 100 points, so I would say teachers are giving them out. I still encourage teachers and staff to give out even more,” states Fowlie.
However, the Ridge Way Store has room to grow. “We have had students utilize the store, but there is so much room for growth,” states Fowlie. “We encourage students to ask their teachers how they can earn Mustang Bucks.”
According to Fowlie, the future of the Ridge Way Store is being placed in the hands of the students, as she states, “Right now, we want to see the store get busier. Once that occurs, I would like to get student input on what they want to see in the store.”
The Ridge Way Store is helping to create a school culture that both encourages and rewards positive behavior. By promoting the RIDGE values, Shadow Ridge High School is making strides in making a community that places importance on Respect, Integrity, Discipline, Growth, and Empowerment.
