News
New mediation program promotes peace among peers
Jan. 28, 2010
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| Pinewood Peace Partners: Andrew, Ana, Kaitlyn, Michelle, Amanda, Cameron, Bella, Connor, Kaitlyn, Alex, Kayla, Samantha, Kaitlynn, Alyssa, Kayla and Samantha. |
Pinewood School now has one more way to resolving conflicts, thanks to a new peer mediation program—Pinewood Peace Partners.
Pinewood Peace Partners is a group of fifth-grade students who have been trained to help their fellow peers resolve small conflicts among one another. The students were chosen by their teachers for the program because they demonstrate responsibility and problem-solving skills in the classroom.
“The goal of the program is two-fold,” says Lori Ranze, a third-grade teacher and the Pinewood Peace Partner co-supervisor. “It offers another resource for students to solve their minor problems on the playground or cafeteria and encourages fifth graders to serve as role models to their peers.”
Peace Partners only assists students who want their help and provides suggestions only when students are struggling to come up with their own resolution. For more significant conflicts, Peace Partners refer the students to the cafeteria staff or main office.
“Students have a script that they are able to reference in their mediations along with a reminder list of what they need to cover,” adds Elizabeth Haynesworth, school social worker and the other Peace Partner supervisor. "At the conclusion of their mediations, the Peace Partners complete a contract that summarizes how the students agreed to solve their problem.”
The Pinewood Peace Partners program is
modeled after a peer mediation curriculum developed by the Capital
Region BOCES.
