Wow, what an amazing day at Lydia Trull Public School, Ontario, Canada!
I learnt how Restorative Practice is a significant aspect of their 2012-2013 School Improvement Plan, and as such, statistical base line data has been collected to measure the success of strategies. A whole school ‘climate’ survey was conducted and results collated and analysed to formulate strategies for improvement. Ongoing communication with students, parents and the wider community was highlighted. Furthermore, the use of circles is being extended to support academic goals.
I visited a number of classrooms and each teacher was generous in their sharing and willingness to show me how they built their classroom communities on the restorative principles within circles – such as voice, respect, empathy, responsibility and support.
I particularly liked Michelle Smith’s ‘Tribes’. Michelle has worked with her year 6 students to help them create ‘sub-communities’ called ‘tribes’ within the larger community of her class. These smaller groups of…
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Samantha Kourakis Anika Foundation Scholarship Recipient 