Chicago Heights parks and schools partner to offer students restorative practices through peace circles - Chicago Tribune

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In Chicago Heights, the Park District and Elementary District 170 have joined together to teach students who qualify about restorative practices through peace circles rather than sending them to detention or suspending them.

“We didn’t want these students to become what we call part of a revolving door syndrome, meaning you get an in-school suspension or you get a detention and this is a constant. We wanted to break that cycle,” said Park District Superintendent Shari Demitrowicz, a former school principal and certified restorative practice trainer. “If you have early intervention, you have a better chance of stopping that revolving door process.”

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While the school district offered restorative practices for students, Superintendent Tom Amadio and Chicago Heights Middle School Principal Chris Baikauskas suggested a partnership with the Park District to expand the program and become “a springboard for future development and positive interaction,” said Kenyea Beach, the school district’s social and emotional coordinator.

From 10-11 a.m. Saturdays, either Demitrowicz or another certified restorative practice trainer meet with 10 students, mostly eighth graders, who are recommended by the school district.

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A sixth grade Chicago Heights Middle School student who said he can occasionally be disruptive in class attended a January session, after Beach and the boy’s parents agreed he would benefit.

“I wasn’t really doing well in my behavior, so I thought if I went to the peace circle it would help. It actually helped a lot,” the boy told the Daily Southtown.

The group sits in a circle in the Park District’s dance room and the students discuss the self-defeating patterns in their behavior, their decision-making process and how social pressures affect that, how to resolve conflict and not place blame, identity what triggers their behaviors and build social and emotional tools, Demitrowicz said.

The goal, Demitrowicz said, is for students to talk about their conflicts and find ways to resolve them by using their voice. Through that, she said, students are likely to limit the behaviors that could lead to trouble at school.

Students who attend the peace circle can also use the conflict-resolving skills at home and in the community, Beach said.

The sixth grader said he is signed up to go again this month. During the January session, he said the students shared their career goals and ambitions for the future, discussed how success in school leads to that future and what they could do better.

He said he felt the other students got to know him better. He also said he’s used the techniques he learned in session, like counting to 10 to calm down, if he’s feeling agitated.

“When I got into it more, it was really helpful. I really liked it,” he said. “A lot of people have their differences and different stories, but I was able to relate to a lot of them so that made me feel more welcome and like I wasn’t an outsider.”

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Beach said he has seen the boy show more maturity and leadership skills since attending the peace circle.

“We want that self awareness to be present in how he moves about the building, even when he’s in his community,” Beach said.

Beach sends Demitrowicz a list of students who will attend the Saturday peace circle, she said. Beach and district officials determine which students should attend based on how many infractions a student has committed, the number of students in detention and parental approval, he said.

Parent approval is a key element, Beach said, as well as parent accountability because parents have to ensure the student can get to the Park District on Saturday morning. As the districts continue the program, Beach said he’d like to discuss providing transportation to help all students assigned make it to the session.

After each circle session, Demitrowicz said she sends Beach some notes on how the session went. Then, Beach said he and other school administrators check in with students during the week to talk about how they feel.

“We want them to verbalize and articulate their feelings, their thoughts, additional goals that we could set,” Beach said. “Also we want them to share that experience with their parents.”

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Demitrowicz said the program appears successful. At the end of the school year, district officials will analyze data from the program and to determine if changes need to be made.

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