January…What a month!

Can you believe that it is already a new year? January is the perfect month to reflect on what the new year might bring and to remember the previous year’s lessons learned. It is a great time to do some self-evaluating and set attainable goals for the next eleven months. What a blessing it is to have somewhat of a fresh start on things every twelve months.

We wish each of you luck with your students in the following months. As teachers and administrators, you bring joy to their lives, hope to their hearts, and possibilities to their futures as you teach them daily. Thank you for all YOU do!

How to Implement Fables into teaching social skills

Ruel Haymond, a representative of Peaceable Schools, has discovered that there are many helpful fables that can be used when teaching social skills to students. Fables often provide a moral to the story that can then be related directly to the social skill that the students are learning for that month. Below is an example of a fable that can be used in connection with several different social skills. After relating the fable to the students, questions can be used to help the students identify how the story relates to the social skill.

The Ant and the Chrysalis 

An Ant, nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food, came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant, who then saw for the first time that it was alive. "Poor, pitiable animal!" cried the Ant disdainfully. "What a sad fate is yours! While I can run hither and thither, at my pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree, you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with power only to move a joint or two of your scaly tail." The Chrysalis heard all this, but did not try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed that way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had become of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. "Behold in me," said the Butterfly, "your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers to run and climb as long as you can get me to listen." So saying, the Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne alongand aloft on the summer breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.

"Appearances are deceptive or don't judge a book by its cover." 

Social Skill Application:

How to Respond to Teasing, Dealing with Embarrassment, Making a Decision 

Questions for students:

“Was the Ant making a correct judgment about the Chrysalis ? Why or why not?” 

“Do we ever look at a fellow classmate, notice a particular struggle they have, and then make a judgment about who they are and what they will become one day?”

 “How can we learn to always see the great potential in each other and treat each other in such a way that our potential becomes realized?”

Secondary Side of Peaceable Schools

Did you know that not only is Peaceable Schools a part of many elementary schools in the Nebo School District, but we have also expanded to secondary education as well? We are currently working with Payson Middle School and Springville Junior High School. The following is a description of what Payson Middle School is doing to implement Peaceable Schools.

Payson Middle School

“Our Peaceable Schools leadership team has been thinking about ways to increase student involvement in the effort to promote peace, respect, and positivity in our school. We decided the best way to find out how to involve students is to ask the students themselves. For this reason, our teachers have appointed a group of about 30 students to serve as a Student Peace Committee. These students were identified as being leaders and role models of various peer groups within the school.

The first project of the Student Peace Committee was to lead a school-wide “Quarters for Christmas” campaign. Students were in charge of publicity, collecting change from every classroom, and counting donations. They encouraged their fellow students to donate to a cause that would provide shoes for other young children. Student Peace Committee members even collected change by the vending machines during lunch, urging their peers to donate the money they brought for candy. The campaign was a competition between 6th and 7th grades to see who could raise more donations (7th won, barely). The original goal was to raise $2,000. We ended up collecting more than $2,700 in two weeks.

We feel that this effort was successful because our students were involved. The charitable project fit perfectly in the Peaceable Schools philosophy, and it helped our school broaden its ideas about what the Peaceable Schools model includes. The Student Peace Committee will continue to be involved in creating activities that encourage respect and peace among their peers.”

Andrew Armstrong               

Research Assistant Supervisor

Peaceable Schools               

Teacher Talk

Recently, some teachers from Westside Elementary School spoke out on their feelings about Peaceable Schools in their school and how they think things are going. Here are a few things that some of them said:

“At the end of SEP conferences, if there was time, Iasked parents if they saw their child using any of theskills taught through our peaceable schools notes athome. One parent commented that it is so nice to seehis son using these skills at home. He said they arebecoming a habit. Also, the father said he works witha generation of people who do not have such skills. He said it seems that they are not being taughtsomewhere along the line and as young adults they lacksuch skills...Hopefully these skills do become a part of ourstudents’ character as good habits and life skills.” 

2nd Grade Teacher 

“I have observed a change over the past few years. Itseems that the students don't get into fights as much,are better mannered, and try harder to make goodchoices. I like the way we are trying to get familiesmore involved at home in following directions, settinggoals, and showing appreciation. Keep up the goodwork!”                              

4th Grade Teacher 

“I like that it gives me a format for conversation. Ican review in a concise way these very importantsocial skills. It gives common language to the wholeschool.”                                

Kindergarten Teacher 

“We go over the skills in class and practice them. This is about all I see, but I like having the backgroundfor them to use if I needed to. It's important forthem to be taught these skills. As a parent, I loveusing it with my 5 year old and that my 8 year olduses them on her own. She told her grandparents theother day "Thank-you for coming to help us because itis nice and I like it" it wasn't much, but it was nicefor them to hear. Thank you once again for themanners lesson. You were so good. The kids REALLYliked it.”                                                                              

Kindergarten Teacher 

Upcoming Newsletter

Our upcoming “Peaceable Possibilities” in February will feature the following things:

• Cross curricular social skill implementation
• Ideas for skill notes
• Other wonderful stuff!