http://www.restorativejustice.org Resources for developing restorative processes in the school setting. daily 1 2009-02-23T23:01:44Z http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/school-based-restorative-justice-circles-handouts-and-example-demonstration from Kris Miner's entry on Restorative Justice and Circles: In a school gym, we placed the Circle Center items in the basketball center court. Four student volunteers each had a direction, and at each direction 3 months of the year were designated and students divided themselves based on date of birth. This was a technique to mix them up and to have them take responsibility for creating the shape and form of the Circle. The students were in clustered groups in the four directions. I explained that each volunteer would read a value, and bring a talking piece for the Center. Each group would come to the Center and be seated, making room for the others, making a round shape. I explained that the Center was like a fire, and we would all need to be equally warmed by it. This was to have the students take responsibility for the shape, it was an empowering action, so I could promote them being invested in working together. No publisher dvanness School Manual 2011-11-30T23:29:56Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/new-online-resource-creating-and-maintaining-a-peaceful-environment-in-elementary-schools from the introduction to the curriculum on Colorado State University's Department of Human Development and Families: This Collection is divided into three workbooks: (1) Feelings Circle, (2) Friendship Circle, and (3) Peacemaking Circle. The three workbooks are designed to engage students in cooperative learning and conflict resolution in the following grades: (1) 1st and 2nd grades – Feelings Circle, (2) 3rd and 4th grades – Friendship Circle, and (3) 5th and 6th grades – Peacemaking Circle. No publisher dvanness School Manual 2010-08-02T01:04:05Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/students-train-to-facilitate-justice-program from Kari Keller's article in the Longmont Times: On Tuesday morning, five Longmont High School students met at Teaching Peace to be trained as student team facilitators for their school’s restorative justice program. This is the first year that Teaching Peace plans to use a student team to help handle the restorative justice program in schools. No publisher dvanness School Manual 2010-07-06T23:58:25Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/just-care-restorative-justice-approaches-to-working-with-children-in-public-care by Martin Wright Just care: Restorative justice approaches to working with children in public care. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2009. 224pp. ISBN 978 1 84310 981 5 More and more schools are turning to restorative methods,` often helped by Belinda Hopkins’s previous book Just schools. Now she has applied the same principles to meeting the needs of the troubled and troublesome children who are looked after in state institutions. The ethos is similar, and the approach is spelt out clearly for those who do not have previous knowledge of it, with numerous diagrams and a good index. The examples are chosen to reflect the needs of the staff in children’s homes; others such as youth workers and foster parents could also find this book helpful. No publisher dvanness Policy School Correspondent:Martin Wright Manual 2010-05-11T14:42:25Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/twilight-for-campus-legal-codes-talking-circles-aid-the-aftermath-of-destructively-drunk-students-and-more from Bonnie Price Lofton's article in The Mennonite: After more than a decade of ushering misbehaving students at James Madison University (JMU), Harrisonburg, Va., through hearings, sanctions and other legalistic steps, Josh Bacon wanted a change. "I went into educational leadership and student affairs because I cared about young adults and their futures," he says. "But that’s not how they perceived me—they saw me as the 'bad guy,' somebody there to enforce the university's rules, somebody who wasn’t on their side.' Seeking a fresh approach, Bacon signed up for a restorative justice course at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, taught by an internationally recognized pioneer in the restorative justice field, Howard Zehr. No publisher dvanness School Manual Region: North America and Caribbean Policy Country:USA 2010-05-03T13:57:01Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/denver-public-schools-sings-new-tune-on-calming-kids by Burt Hubbard in DenverPost.com: ....For the past several years, North has been in the forefront of a new Denver Public Schools policy that emphasizes intervention and mediation to resolve fights and disruptions rather than out-of- school suspensions and expulsions. The session, geared toward letting students know their rights, was sponsored by Padres & Jovenes Unidos. The group's 2005 report charged that the district suspended too many students for nonviolent offenses and disproportionately targeted minorities. It helped lead to the policy changes. "It's important that every student know their rights," junior Brandon Garcia told the students after leading them in a Denver Broncos version of the wave. No publisher dvanness School Manual 2010-01-30T23:43:19Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/illinoisschoolguide Recently, the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority released the guide Implementing Restorative Justice: A guide for Schools as part of a series of resources created to help with the statewide implementation of restorative justice for working with young offenders. No publisher lparker School Practice Guidelines Manual Guideline Region: North America and Caribbean Policy Standards Teacher Country:USA 2010-08-05T20:08:56Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/i-love-my-job from Giles Charle's post on Restorative Justice at West Oakland Middle School: I am very happy with my job, even though I don't make very much money and I have no idea if it, or anything like it will exist next year. I do believe that Restorative Justice provides some crucial answers for us as we move towards our true potential as peaceful cooperative beings. With that said today was rough, I had more kids in lunch detention/thinkery then I new what to do with. Thanks to Mr. Brooks the co-principle of West Oakland Middle School (WOMS) we were able to sort out the students who understood what they did and were ready to take responsibility and head back to class from the kids who needed a little bit more reflection time before they would be ready. No publisher dvanness Policy School Manual 2009-10-13T19:31:40Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/book-review-discipline-that-restores No publisher dvanness School Manual Book Review 2009-08-20T15:04:48Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/black-male-conundrum From Sarah Karp's article in Catalyst Chicago: In Chicago’s public schools, African-American males are suspended and expelled at a higher rate than any other student group. Yet educators are working to raise black male graduation rates, creating a classic case of policy and practice at odds. No publisher dvanness Policy School Manual 2009-07-01T17:17:04Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/findingsfromschools From the International Institute for Restorative Practices e-Forum: The International Institute for Restorative Practices has compiled a 36-page booklet of findings from schools in the United States, England and Canada that are implementing restorative practices. No publisher International Institute of Restorative Practices School Guidelines Manual Guideline Policy Standards Evaluation 2010-08-05T20:07:21Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/restorative-justice-working-with-students Part 2 of a series in the Badger Herald: While restorative justice programs are showing up across the country for many different state and federal criminals, the University of Colorado-Boulder and Skidmore College, among others, have decided to adopt such programs to introduce their students to non-traditional penalties. No publisher dvanness School Manual 2009-05-26T14:43:30Z News Item http://www.restorativejustice.org The Restorative Practices Handbook is a practical guide for educators interested in implementing restorative practices, an approach that proactively builds positive school communities while dramatically reducing discipline referrals, suspensions and expulsions. The handbook discusses the spectrum of restorative techniques, offers implementation guidelines, explains how and why the processes work, and relates real-world stories of restorative practices in action. (publisher's description) Wachtel, Joshua and Costello, Bob and Wachtel, Ted Article Design Guideline Guidelines Manual Policy Practice School Standards Teacher 2007-03-04T23:41:09Z RJ Article http://www.restorativejustice.org Built around an engaging story of an incident of wrongdoing and a restorative meeting held to address that incident, Part 1 of the workbook and guidance book is designed to introduce children and young people to the concept of restorative practices. Part 2 deepens this understanding by introducing key elements of restorative practices, including the Social Discipline Window, the Restorative Questions, Fair Process and Compass of Shame. The guidance book includes a resources CD and a 'Guide to Effective and Sustainable Implementation of Restorative Practices." Davey, Les and Preston, Nicola Article Design Guideline Manual School 2007-03-04T23:41:09Z RJ Article http://www.restorativejustice.org There is a trend in public education toward "zero tolerance" policies. Zero tolerance policies are designed to suspend or expel from public schools students who commit a single occurrence of proscribed conduct. The trend is largely a response to increased youth violence or the perception of increased youth violence, particularly in the aftermath of the Columbine High School shootings. In this context, William Haft contends that zero tolerance responses directly counter a fundamental purpose of public education, namely, the purpose of preparing children to live in a democratic society. Exclusionary policies should be a last resort not a first resort. Hence, it is necessary to have intermediate responses available to teachers and administrators. Haft urges the application of restorative justice principles and practices - particularly victim-offender mediation - as alternative responses to exclusionary policies in school settings. Haft, William Guideline Guidelines Manual School Standards 2007-03-04T23:41:09Z RJ Article