Summer Happiness

Well, the year is almost over and summer is upon us! For most kids (and teachers), this is a time of extreme happiness and excitement. We get to spend lots of time doing all those things we daydreamed about during the long, sometimes dreary, days of school. Swimming at the community pool, visiting grandparents, beach vacations, lazy days reading books, sports and fun summer camps. For some, though, the change in routine can cause extra stress and uncertainty. For parents who still have to work this can certainly feel stressful, and for kids who feel best with lots of routine and structure in place it can also cause stress.

For our family, I make out a "daily summer schedule" that we try to follow each weekday. It includes an outside activity (chosen from a list we've already agreed upon: museums, libraries, pool, etc.), an academic activity (writing or math because that's what my son needs to work on), some quiet time in the afternoon (no screens allowed!) and ends with work on our "special project." Last year the special project was putting a vegetable garden in our backyard, something the whole family agreed we wanted to have and we were all willing to work on bit by bit. Since we spent most of the summer cleaning out an area of the yard and building a frame for it, by the time the plants went in it was already late in the summer and the garden didn't yield much. But this year our hard work will pay off and our nice garden area is already starting to bloom with pumpkin vines and little yellow flowers that will become cherry tomatoes (the kids chose these seeds, not me.) I've got lots of ideas for our "special project" for this summer, including writing and illustrating an adventure book, but will let the kids choose something that feels meaningful to them. I'm hoping this teaches the value of hard work and putting effort into something that may not necessarily give immediate gratification. Having this routine in place helped keep us all a little more sane and happy, and days when we couldn't follow the schedule due to doctor's appointments or other events we were all a little "off." I'm hoping to implement the same type of routine this summer, but know it will change a bit because the boys are each a year older and will have different interests.

I plan to update this blog from time to time over the summer, not because anyone reads it, but just to help keep myself in some sort of routine and connected to work. I'll also be reading all the great curriculum materials I bought for the fall and trying to map out how I will teach peace, kindness, and mindfulness to 4 year olds :-) Here's a link to one blog I also follow, Raising Happiness, that is full of great ideas, articles, and resources for creating and sustaining child and family happiness. However you spend the summer with your families, I wish you a wonderful time filled with lots of joy and happiness!

Jillian

Teaching Peace Program Overview

To view a great presentation of Linda's program and get a good idea of what happens during Peace Classes here at Lafayette each day, click on this link (Prezi format).

2013 Pennies for Patients Exciting News!

We just found out some very exciting news: Lafayette Elementary School was the TOP fundraising school this year in all of D.C. Public Schools! Our final total was over $7,000, which was more than double our original goal. We will get a special plaque recognizing our status, and Nurse Cockrell and I were also chosen as the "2013 Distinguished Coordinators for DC" based on our rookie status (neither of us have ever done this fundraiser before) and the amount raised. One classroom was chosen by LLS to attend a Nationals Baseball game on June 22, and that class is Mrs. Harn's 2nd grade students (also our 3rd place winners overall for the school). All of our students and parents can also attend this game at a reduced price by using this link. We want to give a big thanks to YOU parents for supporting this fundraiser and helping us achieve these goals. We couldn't have done it without your support (and of course, your pennies!)

Social Thinking--What is it?

Thanks to the generosity of our HSA's professional development fund for teachers, I just got back from attending a great two-day conference in Baltimore. The topic was on Social Thinking, which is a phrase coined by author, activist, and SLP Michelle Garcia Winner. Social thinking is about much more than basic social skills, which are mostly language based, as in: "I say hi, you say hi back" and getting students to have a conversation of at least three exchanges. Social thinking includes teaching kids how our brains work, what thoughts are, and how our thoughts and the thoughts of others are influenced by our behaviors. It's a much more in-depth and holistic way of approaching social learning, and one I've been dabbling in for the past two years with students here at Lafayette. At this conference given by Michelle, I learned about a new social thinking curriculum for younger kids ages 4-7 called "The Incredible Flexible You." This is a basic way of teaching ALL kids about social skills such as identifying thoughts and feelings, figuring out what to do in a group, using your eyes to make smart guesses about others, keeping your body and brain in the group (what we would call "self-control") and using your whole body to listen. While I've incorporated parts of these concepts into character ed classes this year and last, I am really excited to be able to teach them in a more formal way in the upcoming school year. Other plans for next year include the "Teaching Peace" curriculum that Linda Ryden is currently using with 2-5th grades, and which I'll write more about later. Please feel free to contact me for more information about Social Thinking, plans for next year, or anything else you have on your mind! Happy Friday; it's nice to be back in the building.

DC CAS Testing

Hello Parents! This week is DC CAS Testing for grades 2-5 at Lafayette. The week started with a testing assembly on Monday, followed by the first day of testing on Tuesday, April 23rd. Testing will continue throughout the next few days, ending this week for 2nd and 3rd graders and next week for 4th and 5th graders. During the opening assembly, students were reminded to not stress about the tests and simply do their best! Each child was given a card with the following tips:

1. Do your best, but DON'T STRESS
2. Relax your body: Take 3 belly breaths, close your eyes and focus on breaths 
3.  Positive self-talk: “I can do this!” or “It’s ok if I don’t know every answer” 
4. Imagination: Imagine that the test is over and you are in a relaxed, calm place

If your child is experiencing test anxiety, please reference our previous Parent Pick-Up Group topic Test Anxiety and School Worries about helping your child deal with these issues.

Have any thoughts, ideas, or questions about how to reduce stress and anxiety and help your child succeed with testing? Please feel free to share them in our comments section!

Organization Strategies for Your Child

Parent Pick-Up Group Topic: 4/18/13

The topic for this group was organization strategies for your child, including strategies for children with ADHD. We included information from a presentation given by the Special Education department entitled "Taking the 'Dis' Out of Disorganized." Below you will find an outline of the information including a variety of organizational strategies that you could implement with your child:

Learning Styles: 

• Information enters the brain through sight, hearing, and touch. 
• Your learning style is the one you rely on most. Ex. Visual learners learn by sight, auditory learners learn by hearing, and tactile or kinesthetic learners learn by touch
• Visual Learners:
• Prefer to see information such as pictures, cartoons, demonstrations
• Picture words and concepts they hear as images
• Can be easily distracted in class without visual aids
• Overwhelmed by intense visuals
• Benefit from charts, maps, notes, and flash cards
• Auditory Learners:
• Prefer to hear information spoken
• Can absorb a lecture with little effort
• May not need careful notes to learn
• May avoid eye contact in order to concentrate
• May read aloud to themselves
• Like background music when they study 
• Kinesthetic Learners:
• Benefit from direct experiences
• Prefer to participate in activities and performing skills such as writing
• Prefer touch for taking in information
• Can write out important facts to remember them 
• Create study sheets connected to vivid examples
• Role playing can also be an effective strategy

Executive Functioning:

• "Conductor" of cognitive processes involved in learning
• Set of processes having to do with managing one's self in order to achieve a goal
• Neurologically based skills involving mental control and self-regulation
• Executive Skills:
• Sustained Attention- ability to maintain attention despite boredom, distractability, or fatigue
• Task Initiation- ability to begin projects without procrastination
• Planning/Prioritization- ability to create a road map to reach a goal or complete a task, making decisions about what is important to focus on
• Organization- ability to create and maintain systems to keep track of information and materials
• Time Management- capacity to determine how much time one has, allocate it, and stay within time limits
• Flexibility- ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information, or mistakes
• Goal-directed Persistence- capacity to have a goal, follow through, and not be distracted
• Metacognition- ability to stand back and take a birds's eye view of oneself in a situation, observe how you perform, and self monitor and evaluate
• Executive tasks at the elementary level:
• Completing chores including daily responsibilities and tasks (ex. brushing teeth, making bed, feeding pets) 
• Using a system to organize school work (ex. planner, notebook)
• Following complex school schedule
• Planning time (ex. school activities, homework, family responsibilities)
• Inhibiting rule breaking in absence of visible authority
• To teach executive skills:
• Directly address skills
• Consider child's level of development
• Make changes in environment, task, or interaction with your child
• Modify tasks to match your child's capacity 
• Use incentives to support instruction
• Praise, rewards
• Provide just enough support for the child to be successful
• Keep support and supervision until child has mastered the task
• Fade support, supervision, and incentives gradually

An organized student needs: STRUCTURE, ROUTINE, PREDICTABILITY 

• Planner
• Check nightly if needed
• Color code for homework and tests/quizzes
• Include a list of materials needed each night
• Record phone numbers of two classmates
• Monthly Calendars
• Use for long term projects, essays, research papers, speeches
• Separate task into parts
• Complete process 2-3 days before due date
• Check with teacher as each section is completed
• Homework Priority List
• List all homework as follows:
• #1- Longest, most difficult assignment due tomorrow
• #2- List in decreasing order according to difficulty, length, aversion
• End of list- work on long term assignments per schedule
• Help your child learn to estimate time needed for a given assignment
• Discuss and decide on amount of time for each assignment
• Set timer as student begins
• Upon completion, note actual time needed
• No racing allowed
• Important to keep record of study times for tests and corresponding grades
• Homework Schedule
• Post near working space or on refrigerator
• Consider attention span
• Build in breaks (10 minutes or less)
• Extraneous technology OUT
• Plan ahead for days with extracurricular activities, etc. 
• Consider time of desired activity after homework is completed (reward, motivator)
• More efficient use of school time = less homework!
• Always prepare backpack, lunchbox, clothing, etc. at night
• Binders
• Depending on the class-
• pencil case
• one large or two smaller 3 ring
• double sided pocket divider for each subject
• regular dividers per class need 
• ex. English- notes, grammar, lit, writing, vocabulary, homework, tests
• During school day, put homework and papers in front pocket of each subject
• Every night before homework, empty pocket and organize each section
• Place completed homework into appropriate pocket
• Use back pocket for ongoing work, study materials, etc. 
• Studying: Reading a Textbook Chapter
• BEFORE reading the chapter-
• Read the introduction
• Read the chapter summary at the end
• Highlight all titles, subtitles, and headings
• BEFORE reading each section-
• Write each vocab word on an index card
• Prepare all section questions by turning each into a statement, leave room for answer
• As you read each section-
• Define each vocab word in your own words
• Complete all section questions by filling in answers
• Highlight vocabulary and definitions and other important information 
• After finishing- 
• Test yourself with review questions at the end of the chapter
• Use the cards, review questions, and highlighted information to study for the test as well as class notes, review materials, etc. 
• Short, frequent study sessions over several days are more effective than one long session the night before the test! 
• After the test-
• Make corrections
• Analyze mistakes (ex. kind of questions missed, information missed)
• Check if there was enough study time beforehand
• Make study guides out of tests with highlighter

Additional Advice:

• In addition to homework priority list, keep another post-it next to work space:
• List any extraneous thoughts that interrupt focus (ex. need to wash gym clothes, need to bring $5 for the party, etc.) and keep working
• Allow student to "empty his or her mind" of random thoughts that interrupt work flow
• Review that day's notes nightly
• Highlight after, not while reading
• Cramming intensifies test anxiety! 

Final Thoughts:

• Talk about learning styles with your child
• Engage in discussion about executive skills and strengths and weaknesses
• Work on strategies as early as possible
• Use small steps. reinforce efforts, gradually fade coaching
• Point them toward resources
• When challenges occur, offer understanding and help them get back on track
• Encourage effort, praise success, and let them know you love them
• Talk to school personnel if:
• You think your child needs additional support at school
• You think there might be learning or attention problems requiring more specific intervention

Presentation adapted from: Julie Landis, Ph.D. and Karen Buchine, M.A., Teaching and Learning Center of Texas 

Thanks for reading! If you have any reactions, thoughts, or suggestions, please feel free to voice them in our comments section. 

Character Word for April: Courage

COURAGE

Facing your fears, and 

having the strength to do what is right

COURAGE is our character word for the month of April! Several students have already been caught in the Character Spotlight for acting courageous. One student showed tremendous courage by stopping bullying behavior!

In the Character Education lessons this month, Ms. Diesner and intern Ms. Moore have been talking to Pre-K through 1st grade classes about showing courage. We read the book, "There's a Big, Beautiful World Out There" by Nancy Carlson which talks about common fears that many kids have and emphasizes facing fears and discovering all of the wonderful things in the world. During our discussions, students have shared some of their fears, and talked about times that they acted courageously and overcame them. Our younger students were asked to draw a picture of a time that they showed courage and create a courage badge and had the opportunity to share these pictures with their classmates. 

Encourage your child to continue to face his or her fears and show courage both in and out of school. He or she could be caught in the Character Spotlight!

Teaching Peace: Conflict Resolution

Are you going up the Conflict Escalator?
 

 It's Conflict Resolution time in Peace Class!  In 2nd - 5th grade we are spending time in Peace Class learning how to work out our conflicts peacefully.  If you have the kind of child who tells you all about what happens at school (I have one who does and one who doesn't!) then you have probably heard about the Conflict Escalator.  The Conflict Escalator is a way to help us think about how conflicts can start out as nothing but small problems but because of the things people say and do and the way that people react they can sometimes escalate into something much worse.  Ask your child what is at the top of the Conflict Escalator.  The answer: Nothing but Trouble!  In second grade Peace Class we have been reading stories about conflicts and we are beginning to think about what sends a conflict up the escalator.  In third grade Peace Class we are learning about the Conflict Resolution Toolbox.  This toolbox is filled with solutions such as sharing, taking turns, and compromising.  We are role-playing how to use these tools in different conflict scenarios. In fourth and fifth grade Peace Class we are learning more advanced conflict resolution methods and practicing them through role-playing. When all of the kids are speaking the same "language" about conflict it is much easier to keep things peaceful here at Lafayette!

Linda Ryden
Teaching Peace

Please share your thoughts about the conflict escalator and how it might help your child or any other comments about the Teaching Peace curriculum in the comments section!

 

Teaching Peace

What is Teaching Peace?

Teaching Peace is a unique social and emotional learning program developed by Linda Ryden especially for the students of Lafayette Elementary School.  All of the second, third, fourth and fifth graders at Lafayette take Peace Class every week.  In addition, there is a special lunch/recess program called Peace Club and a leadership program for fifth graders called Peace Team.  Ms. Ryden works closely with the counseling staff to provide one-on-one help to children with conflicts and other issues.  The Teaching Peace program is funded by a grant from the Home and School Association.

Why teach peace?

The goal of Teaching Peace is to create a culture of kindness.  Research has shown that the two most important factors in preventing bullying at school are changing the school climate and allotting class time to social emotional learning.  Peace classes, the Peace Club, the Peace Team, the student-made peace posters all over the school, and having a teacher dedicated to these issues builds a school-wide climate that will help to make bullying and other forms of unkindness unacceptable at Lafayette.  Lafayette students are encouraged to take action when they see acts of unkindness and to make teasing, excluding and bullying "uncool".   Our goal is to turn bystanders into heroes.

What happens in Peace Class?

Peace class always takes the same shape including three main components: mindfulness, kindness and the core lessons.

• Mindfulness: We begin with ringing the ting-sha bells.  These lovely Tibetan bells set the quiet tone for Peace Class.  While we listen to the bells we close our eyes and begin our mindfulness practice.  Sometimes we focus on our breathing, sometimes we focus our minds on listening closely to the sound of the bells and raise our hands when we can no longer hear them.  We continue this quiet, peaceful mood as we transition into doing the Mindful Movements, a moving meditation created by Thich Nhat Hahn.   Mindfulness practice has many benefits.  Mindfulness training can help to enhance children’s attention and focus, improve memory, improve self-control and awareness of our own feelings and the feelings of others.  Mindfulness practice is becoming more and more popular in schools because research has proven that creating deliberate moments of quiet and focus in a school day can greatly decrease anger, violence and anxiety in school. 

• Kindness: The next component of Peace Class could be called “kindness training”.  Each week children are assigned a Kindness Pal.  It is their job to do nice things for that child for the whole week (get his snack, stack her chair, play together at recess, etc.)  The following week we hear about what everyone did for their Pal and they get a new one. This is a very popular activity which achieves several goals.  One is to remind the children to make kindness part of their daily lives.  It has been scientifically proven that people who keep track of the kind things that they do tend to do more of them.  Doing kind things for their own “pal” will spill over into their treatment of others.  Pairing up the children also provides opportunities to get to know each other and to “find the good” in someone that you might not have gotten along with in the past or who you think you just don’t like.  We often refer to the quote “Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.”  We use quotes from a large variety of sources including the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss, ancient proverbs and popular song lyrics to add to our discussions.  We use these quotes each week to set the tone for the lesson.  Many of the children enjoy attempting to memorize the quote each week.

• Core Lessons: Each week’s class features a lesson on a specific concept or skill.  Lessons in Peace Class range from learning specific conflict resolution skills, to the “three R’s” of apologizing (regret, responsibility and remedy), to learning to think before you speak, to discussions of prejudice, to learning how to calm down when you are angry, to what to do to help someone who is being bullied.  Story-telling, children’s literature, role-playing, drawing, group discussion, pair-sharing, puppets and much more bring these lessons to life.  The same basic concepts are taught each of the four years but they are adapted to be age-appropriate as the children grow.  

What is Peace Club?

Peace Club is a lunch and recess program for kids who like a smaller alternative to the cafeteria and the playground.  It is a mixed-age group of anywhere from 20-50 kids that meets in the space used by the Lafayette Afterschool Program (LAP).   Peace Club has become popular among kids who sometimes struggle with their social skills or with being in a large group.  It is also popular among kids who like to make a difference at Lafayette and who make a commitment to making everyone feel welcome and respected.  

 Everyone who comes to Peace Club makes a promise to treat everyone else with kindness and respect and to make sure that conflicts are worked out peacefully and everyone is included.   Some older children are recruited to be special Peace Club helpers.  These are kids who make an extra commitment to seek out those who have a harder time jumping in and include them in games, who help others work out conflicts peacefully and who help lead the big clean-up routine.  If you were to drop by Peace Club you would probably be surprised by how noisy it is.  It is not "peaceful" on the surface.  But there is so much going on that is contributing to making Lafayette a more peaceful place.  The children eat lunch together at small tables getting to know new people and children in other grades and classes.  After lunch they have lots of options.  All of the games and toys at Peace Club are chosen to encourage cooperation and social interactions.  Some children choose to make the wonderful, colorful peace posters that line the halls of Lafayette.  Many children choose to join together to make fantastic structures using the Magna-Tiles.  Some children play board games or guessing games or Twister and hop-scotch.  Sometimes we join together to play circle games.  The LAP room has a foosball game and so, even though foosball is really, really noisy, it gives the kids many chances to work out conflicts, to make sure that people are included and to find ways to communicate gently when someone forgets to follow the rules.  Members of the Peace Club also help others by making food for the Bethesda Cares homeless shelter once a month.  Peace Club has become a welcoming community-within-a-community at Lafayette.

What is the Peace Team?  

Peace Team is a program for a specially selected group of 5^th graders who work together to write the weekly Peace Tips that are shared on the morning announcements.  They also choose a Peaceful Person of the Week.  Some Peace Team members are chosen in recognition of their efforts to make the school a better place and some are chosen because they show potential to be peaceful leaders if given a little encouragement.  

Who is the Peace Teacher?

Linda Ryden is the creator of Teaching Peace, teaches all of the Peace Classes and leads Peace Club and the Peace Team.  She is also a member of the Lafayette Student Support Team and works closely with the counseling team.  She has been teaching for 25 years and created the Teaching Peace program in 2003.  Teaching Peace has been featured on local television and radio and in the Washington Post. In 2012 the DCPS Advisory Commission on Bullying encouraged all schools in DCPS to incorporate a program modeled on the Teaching Peace program.

Appreciation

Thanks to Principal Lynn Main for her consistent support of the Teaching Peace program.  In this testing-focused culture it takes courage to set aside time in the school day for something that can’t be easily quantified.  Thanks to her vision and leadership on this issue, Teaching Peace has grown into an effective and engaging model program.   This program also owes a debt to the wonderful teachers of Lafayette who have welcomed and supported the Teaching Peace Program and given the very precious gift of time.  Finally, Teaching Peace would not have been possible without the support of the Lafayette Home and School Association.  Many thanks to all members, past and present, for supporting Teaching Peace over the past nine years and for making our children’s social and emotional development a priority.  

Quotes about Teaching Peace

Quotes from parents, teachers and students about

Teaching Peace

Quotes from Parents:

“I believe that if there were someone like Ms. Ryden in each elementary school across America, we would likely see a wholesale reduction in bullying and juvenile crime.  The value that the Peace program provides to the Lafayette community is immeasurable.”

Sam Frumkin, third grade parent

 “Peace Class teaches our children how to be part of a community that is kind, cooperative,  intelligent and emotionally healthy.  Linda Ryden teaches our children to act with the highest expectations and finest intentions toward each other. Linda Ryden has singlehandedly changed the culture of this school. “

Janet Zwick, fourth grade parent and third grade teacher

“In my mind, and in the minds of my children, one of the most precious resources at Lafayette is Linda Ryden and her Peace Program. How lucky we are to be able to provide such a positive and uplifting program for our children…. Linda’s lessons of conflict resolution and self-control are an invaluable tool for our children now and in the future…. I am happy, through the fundraising efforts of the HSA, that we can provide our children with resources like the Peace Program. I strongly support the continuation of the funding for this program and encourage additional funding.”

Kerrie Bouker, fifth and second grade parent 

“As highlighted in recent news reports, Linda’s program is unique and wonderful in a public elementary setting.  Readers are likely envious that we have such an offering for our children.  I certainly feel grateful that this program is there when my boys needed and continue to need it.  Thank you to the HSA for supporting this important program; it contributes significantly to the overall ‘wonderfulness’ that is Lafayette.”

Virginia Stocker, fourth grade parent

“Just a quick note to give my annual plea for continuing to generously support the peace program at Lafayette.  I adore this program and think it's one of the most unique and special extras we offer our students.  Linda is a gifted teacher, and I really feel we are fortunate to have her services and talents at Lafayette.”

Lisa Resch, fourth grade parent

“I was co-president of the HSA from 2004 – 2006 when Linda Ryden approached us with the idea of a Peace Program.  At that time, the kids in the school were very “cliquey”.  There was a program in place then for peer mediation where the kids helped each other solve their disagreements.  There were a large group of peer mediators.  There was also a rise in bullying within the school.  Although the HSA board at the time was unfamiliar with a Peace Program, it seemed to be a wonderful solution to the problems that the school was facing. Since the program was implemented, bullying has not been a large issue and the peer mediation group no longer exists.    There is much greater spirit of kindness and concern within the student body.  This can be attributed to the work that Linda has done with the Peace Program and the Peace Club.”

Kim Ford,  second grade parent

“I am so proud that my children attend Lafayette, where the Peace Program provides them the opportunity to learn and practice the multiple ways of being a good person.

This sense of community is evident when people enter the Lafayette building.  Perhaps it is the peace club posters reminding people to be kind to others, or perhaps it is the focus given to these topics during peace class, but students at Lafayette know how to create a welcoming community….

“In a world where many of our children believe that community only exists online and where communication with others can only happen through monosyllabic words exchanged on a small screen, we need the Peace Program at Lafayette.  Our students do recognize real warmth, generosity, kindness, and yes, even real community, when they are given the opportunity to experience it and celebrate it!”

Jenny Nachbar, third grade parent

“Peace Club has meant so much to my son and to me.   He was a new student this fall at Lafayette, a third grader having moved from another school.  During the beginning of the year, he was having a hard time getting to know the other children, being included, and just fitting in at a new school where a lot of the children had already been together since pre-k. ...   I truly believe that because of Peace Club he's been able to branch out with his friendships and to become a member of the Lafayette Community, it has made his transition so much easier and he is so happy to be at Lafayette.  He tells me now that he loves his school.”

Colette Pike, third grade parent

“I would like to add my support of HSA funding for the Peace Program at Lafayette Elementary School.    A couple of years ago, I was able to witness how students are able to use what they learn in the Peace class.   I was a monitor during recess when I noticed two fourth graders get into a heated argument to the point of it getting physical.  I was trying to resolve the issue when a third fourth grader who knew both of them interceded. He calmly talked to them both, using many of the tools Linda teaches - asking both what had happened, how they were feeling and mentioning the "conflict escalator".   I was able to stand back and observe while he helped the two boys resolve the issue and even got them to shake hands…. 

“I think that our Lafayette community has benefited by having the Peace program in place for so many years and that in many ways, we have been way ahead of the curve in addressing the problem.  I know our kids and entire community will continue to benefit by keeping this valuable class as part of our curriculum.”

Maria Petaros and David Engvall, fourth grade parents

“As the parent of a fourth grader, I would like you know how much I value Lafayette's peace program….  I would just like to say that the peace program is more than just the curriculum.  Its success is due to Linda Ryden herself and the personal qualities she brings to the job.  She is one of Sam's very favorite teachers of all time and always makes a point of engaging him when we run into her inside or outside of school.   I thank the HSA for supporting the program and sincerely hope it will continue for many years to come.”

Dana Francis, fourth grade parent

Quotes from Teachers and Faculty:

“We want our children to master their academics but we equally want them to master being good citizens who care about one another and the world at large. The Peace Program does just that. In an age where bullying has become a major problem, the Program is proactive instead of reactive, thereby eliminating some of those problems before they begin…

“The Peace Program also offers a safe haven for learners of different modalities to thrive in a safe environment.  Linda Ryden’s calm nature makes her a calming presence for students and staff alike. In a stressful environment, which schools can be, her presence and the presence of the Peace Program helps to calm us all which in turn allows us to be the best we can be.” 

Jackie Snowden, Arts Integration Coordinator

 “The Peace program, especially the Peace Club, has really helped my students over the past few years.  I work with students that receive specialized instruction.  Peace Club has allowed my students to flourish! I have seen the program’s principles at work every time I teach my students.  I also believe that having this program has allowed my students to be more included.  In short, we have a nicer school and students go out of their way to make my students feel welcome.  I believe the Peace program has played a part in this.

Finally, I have a student that is a big support and helper at Peace Club.  She helps younger kids out and this allows her to have a sense of self-worth. She is always anxious to go to anything Peace Club-related and it is a joy to see her spirit grow!  Please continue to support the Peace program at Lafayette!”

Kerry Cassidy, Special Education Teacher

“This program is invaluable to the growth of our students here at Lafayette.”
 

Jared Catapano,  Special Education Aide

“The program carries over to the classroom in several ways. I have students asking to go see Ms. Ryden to resolve conflicts.  The instances of bullying are down as children understand the scope of what bullying is. Linda’s peace program has a profound effect on our students.”

Brad Jewett, Fifth Grade Teacher

“I would like to express my enthusiastic support for the Peace program at Lafayette….

Students at Lafayette are demonstrating increasing skills in working as a team and supporting each other. There is a very positive and cooperative “vibe” this year at Lafayette, and I attribute that in part to Lafayette’s unique Peace program. The Peace Program is an important piece of the puzzle that makes Lafayette the special place it is! “

Laurie McLaughlin, Art Teacher

“As you make decisions about the budget for next year, we would like to express our strong support for Linda Ryden's Peace class.  We have seen the peace program develop from the very beginning and have always been strong advocates.  … The importance of teaching kindness, compassion, how to get along, what to do if there is bullying, and how to handle or possibly to avoid conflicts cannot be overstated…

“The Peace program works.  We have been able to see the difference between the students' ability to handle conflicts over the years and we have seen improvement.  We hear the language that Ms. Ryden teaches out on the playground.  We see kids doing nice things for their kindness pals which gives them real life practice to show them how good it feels to be nice.  It's wonderful to hear Ms. Ryden tell kids how she feels good when she receives a gift, but she feels so much better when she gives one.  Kids listen.  They really do.  Ms. Ryden's new "mindful movements" also supports the school's focus on controlled voices and bodies.”

Lisa Jensen and Blake Yedwab, Third Grade Teachers

“I have been very impressed with the Peace Program and the magic it appears to have spread on the Lafayette community.  It is hard to really assess the far reaching impact that the program has had on each class individually but I can tell you as a psychologist who has worked in DCPS for 22 years, this is one of the calmest buildings I have ever been in.  I do believe that your program has had a big part to do with that.”

Harriet Kuhn, School Psychologist

           

Quotes from Lafayette students

“My school is a really special place. We are very fortunate to have a teacher who teaches peace! I will call her the Peace Goddess! The Peace Goddess teaches us about conflicts and resolutions and many other things. We also have something called kindness pals. We are encouraged to do nice things for our kindness pals throughout the week! On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays we have Peace Club. Peace Club is where we all get together and do activites and play games. There was an article about our peace class in the newspaper recently. It was super cool! If you are not lucky enough to have a Peace Goddess, then talk to your principal. Maybe one day you could start your own peace club! I love our Peace Goddess. She is my favorite teacher on EARTH!”

Katherine Bouker, fifth grader

“I think Peace class is important because there are many conflicts at Lafayette and Ms. Ryden always helps calm people down.”

“I think the Peace program is important because you do kind things for people and you learn to not do mean things to people.”

“The Peace program is important because it teaches kids to be kind to each other.”

“It’s important because it makes Lafayette a peaceful community.”

“I think Peace class is very important, it’s a place where you know you can be yourself and people will appreciate you.  Peace at Lafayette is like the string of a bracelet; without it all the beads will fall.  Peace Class must stay!”

“Even if I come to Peace class sad or not feeling well or just in a bad mood, I always become very calm and happy by the end.  The mindfulness, fun, Ms. Ryden… everything about Peace class is wonderful!!  I love it!!!!!”

“It is important because it helps people calm themselves when they are mad and it teaches people to solve their problems with words.”

“I think it’s important because it helps you make new friends, it helps the class cooperate and kids with not that many friends can go to Peace Club and make some.”

“I think mindful breathing and kindness pals are important.  Mindful breathing helps me calm down when I have a lot on my mind and kindness pals helps me make new friends.”

“I think Peace class is very important because it could help bullies calm down and not bully and it will help people calm down in tough situations.”

“I think Peace class is important because it helps soothe your brain and if you have any problems Peace class will help you figure it out.  Also it helps bring your mind back to what you were working on.”

“I think the Peace program is helpful because it helps people stand up to bullying and stop bullying and helps them stay calm.”

“I think Peace is important because it helps people if they are upset they know how to calm down to talk it out. It also makes Lafayette a WAY more peaceful place.  And it makes school more enjoyable.”

“The Peace program is important because it teaches us that bullying is wrong and to be more than just a bystander when bullying does happen, which is actually rare around here because being peaceful teaches us not to.”