In the first few years at Bronx River, students anticipated the day they could use LOGIC dollars. Teachers handed out LOGIC dollars to students who exhibited Love of Learning, Mr. O’s Optimism, Grit, Intellectual Curiosity and Caring in class. Students could turn in their LOGIC Dollars for prizes or enter them in the Town Hall Raffles for prizes and gift cards.
Over time, the program faded away. To some students, LOGIC Dollars encouraged hard work and made students feel recognized for their efforts. Now, some people wonder if bringing them back would boost school spirit and encourage positive behavior again.
For those who experienced the program firsthand, the memories are mixed.
Britana Owen doesn’t want the program brought back “because it creates confusion for students and can cause unfairness when students get more LOGIC Dollars than others,’’ she said. “It develops an argument between who deserves it and who doesn’t.’’
Starr Giscombe, a former teacher who is now an assistant principal, said the program only works if the rewards are kept meaningful. “I feel like in order for LOGIC Dollars to have a purpose and to really have value for students, teachers, when they hand those things out, they have to be attached to what LOGIC actually means,” she said.
The program lost its impact when rewards were handed out inconsistently for minimal effort, she said.
On the other hand, students and staff who didn’t experience LOGIC Dollars see their potential from an outside perspective. Aryana Segarra, who never had the chance to earn LOGIC Dollars, said, “I think you should because it’ll give the students the opportunity to feel like how you guys had it before with a lot of dollars and have some experience like winning prizes and getting stuff for gifts and stuff.”
Marco Pampa, a second-year teacher who has never used the program, added, “Yeah, I don’t see why not. They can buy things, or they can change them for dress-down passes or whatnot. They seem like a good way to motivate the students.”
Similarly, Emely Burgos believes LOGIC Dollars could be effective, saying, “Well, if there’s anything that kids love, it’s a prize. So, yeah, 1,000 percent, it’s definitely going to motivate them.”
The difference in perspectives between those who experienced LOGIC Dollars and those who didn’t highlights both the nostalgia and the curiosity surrounding their return. While those who experienced them see the flaws and the need for structure, those who didn’t see their potential for creating motivation and excitement.
The school still awards students for displaying LOGIC attributes during Town Hall when five students from each grade are honored with certificates during the schoolwide assemblies. Adding LOGIC Dollar raffles to Town Hall could boost interest. But doing so will only work with thoughtful planning that ensures fairness, consistency and a meaningful connection to the school’s core values.
