Peer mediators quell clashes
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers PEACEMAKERS- Megan Gratke, Ryan Willis and Skylar Goodwin discuss the events that took place during the lunch period at Peach Hill Academy. The Posse Partners help to mediate disputes and encourage good behavior on campus.

Four students, sporting denim vests and carrying a checklist of mediating procedures, patrolled the Peach Hill Academy playground last week, seeking to help their peers solve conflicts.

The young mediators, whose vests identified them as Posse Partners, also carried award certificates they could present to children who are seen doing something good.

Peach Hill Academy, with about 660 students attending kindergarten through fifth grade, is the largest elementary school in Moorpark.

The presence of peer mentors during lunch and recess makes the campus more peaceful for everyone, said Posse Partners Megan Gratke and Skylar Goodwin as they walked around the school yard on the hot Thursday afternoon.

Ryan Willis and Oliver Goch were also on duty that day, ready to provide assistance to those who wanted it. The boys kept an eye on several groups of children playing on the grass field, and they stopped every so often to chat with fellow students.

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers PROBLEM SOLVERS- From left, Oliver Goch, Ryan Willis, Megan Gratke and Skylar Goodwin are some of the Posse Partners who work in pairs to help stop conflicts during lunch and recess.

When children have the opportunity to speak about their problems, they can learn to come up with mutually acceptable solutions right away, said Leslie Seifert-De Los Santos, program coordinator at Peach Hill Academy.

The Peach Hill Academy peer mentoring program was developed last year by five teachers as part of their professional growth development plan. Their idea was to intercept problems before they have a chance to escalate and spill into the classroom, said SeifertDe Los Santos.

The teachers created guidelines and provided training to the Posse Partners based on a similar program at Portola Elementary School in Ventura. The concept was adapted to meet the specific needs of Peach Hill students, she said.

About 30 fourth and fifthgraders volunteered for the program. They had to write a letter of intent explaining why they wanted to be in the program and were then selected based on their character and ability to interact with others. The young mentors were trained to recognize conflicts and taught to handle the various situations that might arise on campus.

In addition to making the campus more peaceful when children are out on the play fields, the peer mentoring program also helps the young volunteers develop leadership skills. They learn to listen and gather needed information, and they acquire communication and reporting skills at the same time, said Seifert-De Los Santos.

"It seemed to be a real fun thing to do and I want to help make the campus a better place for everyone," said Megan, who reported that fewer incidents of bullying have occurred since the program began this school year.

The peer mediators can only help to resolve conflicts when both parties involved want to participate, said Oliver. Even when their own friends are involved, the young mentors must be able to stay impartial and concentrate on both sides.