We have now completed the 5th week of school!  As part of continuing to build the foundation of PD, students have learned about:

• Acknowledgements and Appreciations.  Classroom meetings include acknowledging and appreciating others to express gratitude and recognize the good qualities in someone or something.  They help students practice courtesy and respect, help students focus on the positive aspects of each other, and enhance a student’s sense of belonging.  This practice sets a positive meeting tone that supports constructive problem solving. Have your child facilitate this around your dinner table at home!
• Focusing on Solutions – “Solvere” is the latin word for “to loosen, free or release”.  Students gain a sense of freedom and power from learning from and repairing mistakes and resolving challenges.  This may involve making amends or contributing back to the community. Solutions are REASONABLE,  RELATED, RESPECTFUL AND HELPFUL.  Solutions create an environment of students who are helpful and not hurtful.  
• Communication Skills – Students are obtaining a sense of connection and autonomy through skills that help them express thoughts, feelings and ideas in a respectful manner and have influence on the world around them.  Ask your children about “Bugs and Wishes” (K – 3rd grade) or “I-Statements” (4th – 8th)
• Brainstorming and Role Playing help students deepen their understanding of others and improve their ability to problem solve.  These practices help students find solutions without adult help.  Students expand their skills to collaborate on ideas, respecting differences and seeing things from others’ perspectives. They can have fun practicing solutions.  
• Mutual Respect – Students learn to have respect for themselves, the situation, and others. Mutual respect is necessary to establish a safe and trusting classroom and school community.  Classrooms based on mutual respect appreciate the uniqueness of individuals and understanding of others’ perspectives
• Using the Class Meeting Format provides a structured and safe process for solving problems and the Agenda provides a list of issues or problems assembled prior to a meeting.  Using the class meeting (much like you can use family meetings at home) allows people to come together to discuss after they have cooled off.

Conflict Resolution at Innovations Academy:  As you know from the Parent Handbook, students are expected to “actively participate in conflict resolution, seeking to understand another’s point of view and ultimately resolve the issue, which may include an action apology/make up action, creating an acceptable plan and consistently take action that will achieve the goal of resolution” as well as “create an acceptable plan to resolve problems at school. All students involved in conflict must create an acceptable plan to resolve the issue and demonstrate consistent action, which will achieve resolution. If a student is not willing to engage in any of the above, they will be sent home and a parent meeting will be scheduled to discuss.”

The learning of PD communication skills these past few weeks provide a framework for conflicts to be resolved.  Students share their feelings with each other, demonstrate listing by reflecting back to one another and make an agreement going forward about how they will solve the situation. A key element in the process of solving conflict is for students to keep the agreements they make with other students AND to immediately get help from an adult if the other student does not keep the agreement. This is the only way the problem can continue to be, and ultimately be, solved.  Discussing this with your children throughout the year will help them to remember and continue to practice this structure and skill.

Additionally students school wide are continuing to practice mindful skills in the classroom at least twice a day.  

Please ask your child/ren about what they have learned each week. Practicing self regulation and mindfulness at home can reinforce and accelerate their success and provide consistency across all environments.

Feel free to visit or email Jennifer in the Solution Center with questions or for additional resources about Positive Discipline or Mindfulness. jenniferiasc@innovationsacademy.or