http://www.vermontjournal.com/content/peer-mediation-deputy-program-union-street-school
Peer Mediation & Deputy Program at Union Street School
Submitted by admin on Wed, 11/25/2015 - 12:54pm
All 5th grade Deputy & Peer Mediators
Photo Provided
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. - Do you remember running excitedly out onto the playground, then feeling unsure of where you’d be welcome to play? The 5th graders have been through skill training on how to “Listen” to their classmates. This year is the 16th year this Mediation Program has been running in Springfield School District. Every year the 5th graders look forward to the 6th graders from Riverside Middle School announcing the years 12 peer mediators and giving out the deputy t-shirts to those 5th graders who have earned them. Jan Rounds, Program Advisor says, “Their role is to support their peers/classmates by giving each other the opportunity to clarify with one another what their perception of a problem/misunderstanding is”. At Union Street School it is student driven on how the kids take care of their school community.
Actually, I remember being taught meaningful curriculum to prepare me for a successful trajectory through college and into the real world. There were no issues on playgrounds in my day because they were properly supervised by the faculty and staff. And when there were any "differences" encountered on the playground, resolution was usually swift and lasting. There was no need for child "deputies" serving as the contemporary Brown Shirts and informing on their peers. To think that Springfield Schools have devoted 15 years to such nonsense, typically at the expense of imparting real knowledge in core curriculum such as math, science, English, and history. Our students' test scores continue to fall, but by gosh we've managed to "deputize" a fraction of them in order to fulfill the misguided social engineering objectives of the illuminati.
ReplyDeleteI think the program is just wonderful! Peer pressure is the key. These kids can learn diplomacy and leadership.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately they aren't learning core academics and their NECAP scores prove it. One more reason successful, young families wisely chose not to make their home in Springfield.
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