Dear Friends,
As the school semester winds down and the holidays are upon us, we want to send you warm holiday wishes--for peace in our schools, peace in our communities and peace on earth. There is no better time than to turn within and rest after all the hard work that you've put in this school year. For some of us, resting looks like skiing, baking, reading, catnapping and just being with friends and family. Whatever it is, we all deserve it.
We'll keep this newsletter short but we did want to share a few important items. First, we'll be holding a Winter Training Institute in early February. If there are any staff that need being trained, please have them register. Here's the info about it:
WINTER TRAINING INSTITUTE:
Our Winter Training Institute in Restorative Practices in Schools will be held via Zoom on Feb. 6-14 (Introduction to Restorative Practices Feb 6-7, Restorative Mediation & Conferencing Feb 9-10, and Active Implementation & Evaluation Feb. 13-14th.
TO REGISTER click HERE.
Building a restorative culture often takes years and happens through steady training, planning, support, and data collection and analysis. This training is ideal for new staff and awesome for those who want to retake it to review best practices.
HOLIDAY CIRCLE PROMPTS
What would your holiday be without a good Circle? You'd be surprised how much closeness and connection can develop with a simple Circle. Here are a few ideas, though we're sure you have some Circle prompt ideas as well:
- If you could give a gift to anyone regardless of money or time, who would you give it to and what would you give?
- What is something that you learned in life that you would pass on to someone else?
- When have you ever felt deeply touched by something?
- What is a funny or interesting winter-time story you remember?
- Who in this world do you look up to and why?
Lastly, consider holding an Appreciation Circle. Have people write down their names on a piece of paper. Fold it in half and put it in a basket. Pass the basket around and give an appreciation to the person you picked.
HOLIDAY CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES
A recent meme said, "Everyone keeps calling for community but no one wants to learn conflict resolution. So the community dissolves at the slightest conflict." Sure makes you think. In the spirit of getting better at conflict resolution, here are some good holiday reminders:
- Be curious about the other person and their ideas.
- Listen intently.
- Notice when you're getting triggered.
- Keep a sense of humor.
- Defuse and de-escalate.
- Focus on solutions.
- View conflict as an opportunity to learn, repair and strengthen your relationship.
Sending warm holiday greetings from Colorado and Rhode Island,
Randy Compton Catherine Childs
President and Co-founder Principal, Lead Trainer
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