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Fall 2010 |
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Place Academy’s B.R.I.D.G.E to Success |
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The Conflict Center has been working at Place Bridge Academy since its inception. The Academy is a unique school that started three years ago by integrating several schools to make a K-8 education center. They are a magnet school that welcomes newcomer students from all over |
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the world and educates nearly eight-hundred fifty students from forty countries and accommodates thirty languages. The Conflict Center and their Interns work hand in hand with the Academy’s teachers and students in areas of Conflict Management. Last year Place Bridge Academy collaborated with The Conflict Center to implement a Restorative Justice School Program into their problem solving curriculum and into their philosophy of fostering peaceful environments. Restorative Justice sets up frameworks that support communities, learning, and encouraging responsible behavior by modeling. The school has immersed the children with several programs from The Conflict Center that support and reinforce restorative practices such as Reading for Peace, student facilitated Playground Conflict Managers, and the Peace Ambassador Peer Mediator Program. “The greatest success of implementing last year’s RJ programs was seeing the student ambassadors helping the new students while acclimating to Place Bridge Academy’s diverse environment” says the Vice Principal Jason Barbosa. Barbosa believes that imbedding skills such as responsibility, accountability and resolution, in our children’s everyday interactions and dialog will reduce the amount of suspensions at the Academy. More importantly, however, the kids are building skills that can be used throughout their lifetime. He states that as a society we have moved away from restorative actions and in doing so, we are seeing a need for restorative practices to be addressed with our children. Laura Tobey-Davis, the school’s personal and social counselor, is a leading advocate for the school’s restorative climate. When asked why Restorative Justice Practices are important to her and the children, she said “once the students know the skills, tools and spaces like the classroom peace rugs, they use the space to solve minor infractions themselves. It empowers the children to change the school’s atmosphere. A healthy school climate is the biggest service we can provide. It provides positive ways to solve problems, ones that focus on building relationships, healing individuals, fostering positive environments that build support systems for children and adults.”
It is apparent when you walk through the doors of Place Bridge Academy, these practices are in effect. The school dedicates a spirit week at the beginning of the school year, which is six days to enforce the six values of B.R.I.D.G.E-- Belonging, Respect, Integrity, Diversity, Generosity and Effort. As a result of this spirit week, the walls, lockers and hallways are full of children’s examples of how they understand the acronym of B.R.I.D.G.E; how they picture and build on these skills. Spirit week was a great kickoff to the school year. TCC’s goal for this year is to help create a program that is self-sufficient within the school environment where children and staff can take leading roles in Peace Building for Place Bridge Academy. This is the Academy’s way of tying restorative justice to their philosophies while tailoring it to their environment. Seeing adults and children at Place Bridge Academy practicing the skills gives our community hope that restorative justice has a place in the school system, and that these experiences really do build bridges for successful futures. |
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P L A C E B R I D G E A C A D E M Y |