Dear Friends,
(A belated) Happy New Year! Wishing you a fulfilling 2023, both in your personal pursuits and in your school community.
This year is likely the first one where we will begin to experience a palpable lessening of the impact of the pandemic on ourselves, our colleagues, students, parents and other stakeholders in our school communities, though there is a lot of catching up to do. Teachers and administrators report that the increase in student behaviors experienced during the transition back to the classroom from remote learning is beginning to lessen. Yet another rendition of the new-normal cycle, we are seeing students and teachers lean into what it means to be a part of a community of trust, belonging and safety, giving each other grace and support along the way.
OUR YEAR IN REVIEW
Here are some highlights:
- Training Institutes: We held five remote, 4-6 day Training Institutes (Summer/June, Fall/November, Winter/February) including our annual Training of Trainers in Restorative Practices in Schools (April) and an Advanced Training Institute (March). All told, we trained 96 participants from 42 schools, across 10 states. As of 2022, we have 67 participants who have completed the Training of Trainers program! And, we held a Responsive Restorative Practices in the Classroom Training for NYC Schools which included Problem Solving and Harm Repair Circles in the Classroom.
- District Initiatives: We are in our last year of our multi-year work with Flagstaff Unified School District in Arizona, and we continue to work with Steamboat Springs and East Grand School Districts here in Colorado and Salamanca-Allegheny/Limestone School District in western New York. Our work with Flagstaff Unified is finishing up with an evaluation of the 3 Year Project and a presentation to the Board.
- New Adventures: We continued our work with the Dalton School (a small private K-12 campus) in NYC, and were recently approved to work as a vendor with the NYC Public Schools system. It's kind of a big deal given how hard it is to get approved.
- Community Schools: We worked with the Brooklyn Community Services to train after school specialists in the foundations of restorative practices. Such an amazing group of people expanding their traditional horizons of discipline.
- National Conference Presentations: We presented twice at the National Association of Community Restorative Justice Conference in Chicago. One on "District-Wide Implementation in Three Distinct School Districts" and one of "Training of Trainers: Using It Wisely to Build Sustainability". Chicago did an outstanding job of hosting last year and is one of the leading cities in the nation doing this work.
- Revised Training Manuals: Perhaps to the dismay of you who have to keep up with all our revisions, we did some major revisions to our training manuals which are now in use. If you've attended our Training Institute, you can find the new electronic version on the Google Drive link we sent you. If you have an older version and want the newer electronic version, contact us. We also came out with our "Engaging Students & Families in Restorative Practices: A Workbook for Schools" to help you all educate and engage students and families in Restorative Practices. It's the only manual we have for sale that you can buy without having to attend one of our Institutes or trainings. We hope it gets around.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTATION TEAMS
Research shows that Implementation Teams are what make your implementation efforts successful. But what is also needed is a clear set of roles and goals. Schools do well when there are specific and measurable goals for the year, even the semester, and when there are action steps to provide coaching and support for staff and to ensure that mutually agreed upon expectations are met.
How strong is your school's Implementation Team? Do you have enough members on it? Is there a good mix of administrators and teaching staff?  Have you set goals for the year? One school we've worked with has two collaborating teams: an Administrative Implementation Team and a Teacher Implementation Team with one person serving on both to facilitate cross communication. And, if you have a district-wide initiative, create a District Implementation Team that has members from a variety of schools and positions. Your goal should be to keep an eye on the big picture and collect informal and formal data about what's happening district-wide.
Lastly, the Implementation Teams should assess results and present data to staff and to higher ups. Help them understand the answer to "is it working?" and "what do we need to do next to strengthen and deepen our efforts?"
STAFF PD CIRCLE STORY
Recently, we held an all staff Circle with just under 50 staff with the goal of deepening their understanding and buy-in for Circles and strengthening the bonds between grade levels and "floors". Here is the outline we used:
- Opening- welcome, goals and intentions
- Why We Hold Circles- open dialogue and review of values, guidelines, talking piece and steps
- Mindfulness Activity- box breathing led by one staff member
- All Staff Prompt- what do you wonder about (in quiet moments)?
- Connections
- Small Group Deepening Circles- in groups of 7, chose 3 of 7 other prompts including "how do you feel about sharing power with students?" and "what's one responsibility you really wish you didn't have?"
- Small Group Debrief
- Closing Circle- what's one word or a short phrase that describes how you're feeling now or what you learned?
All of this took us 90 minutes. The first prompt took us under 30 minutes. It was a powerful and insightful gathering. Tears, laughter and connection.
2023 UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
1) WINTER INSTITUTE (2 days)
February 6 - 7 (Intro to RPS)
For Fees and to Register click HERE
2) TRAINING OF TRAINERS (3 days)
Become a Licensed Restorative Solutions Trainer in Restorative Practices for Schools
April 27 - 29
For Fees and to Register click HERE
4) SUMMER INSTITUTE (6 days)
June 5 - 13 (Intro to RPS, Restorative Mediation & Conferencing, Active Implementation & Evaluation)
For Fees and to Register click HERE
This continues to be a wonderful way for new staff and teams to learn about Restorative Practices.
RECOMMENDED READING & LISTENING FOR OUR TIMES
The Onion (seriously, we need this)
The Restorative Principal by Stephen Young
Podcasts:
Cult of Pedagogy
Amplify RJ
Leading Equity
and just for fun and just as important:
If You Don't Feed the The Teachers, They Eat the Students: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers, by Neila A.Connors
"Packed with words of wisdom and inspiration, this is one book no administrator or teacher should be without. Dr. Neila Connors presents practical tips to improve school climate, communicate with parents and students, teach to the standards, and make a difference in students’ lives. All this in an enjoyable, easy-to-read format, If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students will leave you laughing your way to a more successful school year."
You continue to be in our hearts and minds and we encourage you to reach out with any needs you may have for support or resources during this time of tumultuous change and challenges. Connecting with you is what makes this work so deeply worthwhile and rewarding. We welcome your stories as you continue to forge your path with the applied values and principles of Restorative Practices.
With care,
Catherine Childs, Principal Randy Compton, President
cchilds@restorativesolutions.us rcompton@restorativesolutions.us
303-579-5686 303-859-4419
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