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The Huron Expositor, 1997-04-16, Page 2*Ms INIIMI l IMIPOINTO i e 41e les 16tt17 S.P.S. PEACEM*Xf18 - Peacemakers at BPS, Grade 6 students, posed tor a photo on playground equipment recent- ly. At top of slide, in front: Patricia Quei ngesser. At top, from left: Bryanna Adak, Laura Hood, Shannon Montgomery, Amanda Short, Stacie GiHer, Shaelyn Ward, Amy McClure, Laura Nixon, Kendra Bennewies, Lindsey Powell, Shannon Brooker, Missy Teatero, Trisha McClure, Barry Young, Cody McNaughton (on pole), Gemd Dalton, Devin Blake. Absent from photo: Annie Sebben. learn how to keepStudents peace at school BY DAVID SCOTT Expositor Editor In the wild west, a peace- maker was a Colt .45 pistol. However, in more "civilized" times and places like school playgrounds, peacemakers are students armed with the knowledge of peer mediation and conflict resolution. Ten Grade 6 students from Seaforth Public School (SPS) recently attended a conflict resolution workshop at the Wingham Armouries spon- sored by the Huron Board of Education Conflict Resolution Committee. They were part of a group of 60 students in total from Howick, Turnberry, Grey, Brussels. Brookside and Wingham public schools who spent the day training in con- flict resolution techniques to help primary students deal with minor schoolyard dis- agreements. Grade 6 students watched skits on realistic situations involving conflict and per- formed various games, and role-playing exercises to become effective peacemak- ers. Three teachers and five students from Wingham Public School, Grey 'Central and Central Huron Secondary School presented information for the students. One skit Involved some- body dropping pizza on another person's shirt. That person wanted the pizza - dropper to pay for the dry- cleaning, said Shannon Brooker, who attended the workshop. Another game that was played was "pretzel." "We split into groups then crossed arms and held onto other people's hands to make a circle. It was to practise working together," said Stacie Giller. Students are able to apply skills learned at the workshop to everyday life as well. "There was lots of media- tion training. If you get in a fight at home (with a brother or sister) you can work it out without running and telling a parent," said Trisha McClure. Because of limited -enrol - April 9 Expositor Exposed! The Ex -Files: Spotted Mistakes: I) Page I - "about about" - Dolly McQuaid 2) Pagc 1 - "fundrasing" should be "fundraising" - Arthur Horst 3) Page 1 - "speeds" instead of "speed" - Ethel Walker March 26 Ex -Files: Spotted Mistakes: 1) Page 24 - Progress Edition - line repeated - Marg Henderson 2) Pagc 29 - In Progress Edition -john Jewitt" should be "John Jew" - Ina McGrath 3) Pagc 2 - "do to" should be "due to" - Cecilia Ryan meet, those who attended the workshop had to pass on the information they received to the nine other peacemakers in, Grade 6 when they returned. How It Works The 19 peacemakers are scheduled to cover recesses at school, with two patrolling the schoolyard at a time. If primary students encounter a conflict that needs resolving, "we ask if they want a peace- maker, teacher or themselves to deal with it," says Bryanna Adair. A few different problems happened with snow forts this past winter. In one inci- dent, the bell rang to sound the end of recess and as the children were heading into school, some of them knocked over a snow fort that some others had made. And they got into a fight over it. said Gerrid Dalton. "Sometimes they bring skipping ropes (to recess) and say one person is in charge and won't let anybody play," says Shaelyn Ward. "If something happens. they come and talk to the peace- makers," says Shannon Montgomery. "Sometimes the kids don't think there's a problem and they run away and we have to get a teacher," says Kendra r -J Bennewies. Coming Up With Solution The students involved in the conflict are encouraged to come up with their own solu- tion. The peacemakers go through a set of questions with the primary students and let them come up with an answer to their conflict, says Amy McClure. "We help them come to a solution. But we really don't offer it," said Patricia Querengesser. If a solution can't be reached at rcess, the peace- makers will visit the students in their classroom afterwards, invite them into the hail to talk and hopefully resolve the situation. If it can't be resolved with the peacemakers present, there is an option of talking to "mediators" - Grade 7 stu- dents who previously were trained as peacemakers. All of these steps in the conflict resolution are overseen by teaching staff. The peacemaker program is voluntary for Grade 6 stu- dents and if they enjoy it, they can take the next step of training and become a media- tor in Grade 7. After that, if they're still interested, they can join the Yard Committee in Grade 8. Teacher Julie Holmes, who accompanied the students on ^-d their one -day workshop in Wingham, says in some schools peacemakers are Grade 7 students. The Grade 6 students at SPS had different reasons for becoming peacemakers. "It sounded like fun. I like to work with little kids." said Stacie Giller. "1 like to help kids solve their problems. We had them when we were their age," said Missy Teatero. Peacemakers can also apply their skills to situations that happen in their own peer groups. • "The boys won't let the girls play (basketball or base- ball) because they think they're better," says Shaelyn Ward. Parent Session SPS is offering a Parent Information Session on the "Second Step" conflict reso- lution program on Monday, April 21 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the SPS library. "Parents of current Grade 6 and 7 stu- dents have been invited already. Anyone else interest- ed is welcome," says Holmes. 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