Imagine Schools on Broadway to feature Peaceful Playground Program

Students at Imagine School participate in the playground program at recess.

Imagine Schools has enrolled over 400 students for the 2008-2009 school year at its Broadway campus, Imagine Schools on Broadway.

Imagine Schools opened its first Fort Wayne school in 2007, Imagine MASTer Academy, which is located on Wells Street.

Just one year later, it is opening a second school in Fort Wayne. Nationwide, there are 60 Imagine Schools, and is one of the largest networks of charter public schools in the nation.

Imagine Schools is passionate about making a difference in education by applying a unique organizational and operational structure guided by shared values of integrity and justice.

This philosophy extends all the way to the playground with the implementation of an innovative playground program. Imagine Schools on Broadway will include traditional playground area as well as a “Peaceful Playground.”

At some playgrounds where the biggest and toughest children tend to dominate, the scene at Imagine Schools on Broadway will look different. It will be a recess where nobody cries, gets hurt or gets left out of a game. Sound impossible, it’s not!

With the implementation of the Peaceful Playgrounds Program such peace is no accident! The playground organization program is called Peaceful Playgrounds and its aim is to topple the centuries-old Darwinian pecking order of the schoolyard.

The concept, developed by longtime teacher and Principal Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, Los Angeles, California, is an affordable solution to playground woes.

The program boasts increasing physical activity a much-needed intervention for the childhood obesity problem sweeping the nation. To kids none of the above really matters. What they care about is best expressed by comments like, “It’s fun!” and “Now we have lots of choices of games to play.”

A blueprint for game markings – The first objective is to disperse children evenly across the play area.  Colorful, strategically spaced game markings include numbers, letter grids, and various geometric shapes, which delineate play spaces, creating a cheerful amusement park look.

A consistent set of rules – The second objective is to foster consistency and training for kids, teachers and aides. Rules for each game are taught, posted and regularly reviewed. As games are learned, new rules are introduced for more advanced levels of play.

Conflict resolution strategy – Children learn to resolve their own conflicts. Various effective options for working out disagreements are taught to the children, freeing up supervisors to do their job – looking after the safety of all those on the playground.

List of equipment – Game markings and rules are useless without ample and proper equipment to play the games. To allow for budgeting and purchasing, a detailed list of a year’s supply of equipment is provided.

Consistent expectations and training – It is paramount to the success of the program that each staff member understands and supports the program objectives. Being able to play and work cooperatively empowers children and crosses over into the classroom.

Through word-of-mouth among educators who’ve been exposed to Peaceful Playgrounds, the concept is sweeping the nation and can now be found in more than 8,000 schools across the country.

Times Online – Imagine Schools on Broadway to feature Peaceful Playground