By Pat Svege, School Counsellor
PeaceBuilders
is a program designed to help create an environment that reduces aggression
and establishes a more peaceful way of living in our school and community.
It is not an add-on curriculum; rather it is a new way of life that uses
proven techniques and tools based on extensive research and scientific testing.
PeaceBuilders
has affected our whole school by increasing cooperation, achievement, individual
success, and our long-term vision of higher academic achievement. Peaceful
behavior has become an integral part of everyone's life students, staff,
teachers, and parents.
PeaceBuilders has a common language that begins with a noun: "PeaceBuilder," which allows children to claim affiliation and membership directed toward benefit: "I'm a PeaceBuilder." This made up noun avoids connotations that imply weakness (such as "peacemaker"-one who gives in) as well as hostile or negative intentions (such as "peacekeeper"�one who usually uses weapons to solve a conflict). This noun then becomes a "stem" for action.
PeaceBuilders promotes five carefully worded steps or behavioral guidelines to form the central strategy for reducing aggression/violence and "Increasing the Peace". They are contained in the pledge which we say together daily at Cherry Crest.
PeaceBuilders is now an integral part of Cherry Crest. I do not think teachers have found this to be time consuming. It probably is just the opposite. They have found that having a reference point is useful and helpful in addressing student behavior. The teachers have taught the following lessons so far this school year:
-What is Peace?
-We are PeaceBuilders
-Increase and Decrease
-Increase the Peace
-PowerWords
We have had one assembly, which combined Veterans Day and PeaceBuilder activities. We sang and signed the PeaceBuilder song and many classrooms shared individual presentations along with singing patriotic songs. It was wonderful. We are planning another assembly in January or February 2002, which will focus on heroes. A third assembly will be planned for spring.
Currently intermediate student PeaceBuilders are working in teams of two during primary lunch to encourage positive behavior in the lunchroom. The fifth graders began in September and now we have most fourth graders trained and taking a turn approximately once every five weeks. It's working well. In all, PeaceBuilders has made a significant positive impact on Cherry Crest Elementary.
PeaceBuilder Pledge
I am a PeaceBuilder
I pledge�.
-To praise people
-To give up put-downs
-To seek wise people as advisors and friends
-To notice the hurts I have caused and make amends
-To right wrongs
I will build peace at home, at school and in my community each day.
The PeaceBuilder Guidelines:
PeaceBuilders praise people by giving compliments because it makes people feel better and more good things happen.
PeaceBuilders give up put-downs because put-downs are hurtful and cause people to become angry.
PeaceBuilders seek wise people as friends and advisors to get help and direction for making better choices and decisions.
PeaceBuilders notice and speak up about hurts you cause because being honest and admitting what you did wrong makes people trust you more.
PeaceBuilders right wrongs to show you are really sorry and that you will not do mean things anymore.