Senior Eric Fabich sifted his hands through the sand and found a key. As it turns out, that key would open the door to a 2006 Chevy Malibu as Fabich won the car as part of the Rhinelander High School Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program.

While Fabich won the car at the end of the school year, his road to earning the prize began at the beginning of the year.

“When a student is ‘caught’ doing something positive they are given a green card,” assistant Rhinelander High School principal and program coordinator Richard Gretzinger said. “Throughout the year, students can use these cards for different incentives, like having lunch with the principals, we have Dominos pizza, things like that. At the end of the year, all those cards are put in for the drawing.”

Fabich was one of seven names drawn to have a shot at winning the car. Contestants then had to find a key buried in a sand box and attempt to open the door. Fabich was second in line and his key opened the door. It was an appropriate award for a senior that gave of his time this year.

“I don’t know specifically what was on the card that was drawn,” Gretzinger said. “But I know he helps out a lot in the tech area. He spends extra time-his own time-down there helping out, helping other students.”

And it is those kind of acts that the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program is meant to foster in students.

Started last year, the program has already seen gains.

“This is the second year the program existed at the school,” Gretzinger said. “We have a committee that looks at things we want to work on and this year we chose reducing tardiness. Because of that, we were able to reduce tardys by thousands. It is great to have that kind of data to back up what we are doing.”

Also helping the cause is the car give away at the end of the year.

“We wanted to do something big to make it a little more special,” Gretzinger said. “Someone on the committee mentioned that when they were in high school, the school gave away a car.”

It just so happened Rhinelander had a vehicle to give away.

“Every year we have a car donated to us for our autos department so the students can work on a real car,” Gretzinger said. “Last year, we had this van and we decided we could give that away.”

That raffle was won by a freshman girl.

“This year, Rhinelander GM donated the Chevy Malibu to the program,” Gretzinger said.

While this years Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program was a success, Gretzinger said the committee will be looking for its next goal during the summer.

“This program is all about being proactive and rewarding students who model good behavior,” Gretzinger said. “So we will look at areas that we want to improve and make that our goal.”