Rock Paper Scissors Brings Peace to the Playground
Park Ridge Education Association –
Park Ridge, IL
Teacher Talk Magazine
February 2006
Students play freeze-out on the new school playground.
Looking around the Field School playground, an observer can see a variety of activities going on–four square, scoop games, scattered circles, running bases and hopscotch.
Disagreements are settled, not with loud arguments, but with constructive talk and sometimes rock paper scissors. This is Peaceful Playground at work.
Last summer in sweltering heat, teachers, students, and parents collaborated to create the colorfully painted Field School Peaceful Playground.
The purpose of Peaceful Playground is to provide activity for all students, ownership in civil behavior, and provide a safe recess time for every Field School student. This project was graciously funded by the Field School PTO.
The Peaceful Playground program encompasses all school personnel. Teachers, students, and lunch supervisors were all trained in the five components of Peaceful Playground: consistent set of rules, solutions to conflicts, game markings, appropriate use and care of equipment, and consistent expectations.
Parents were also invited to a Peaceful Playground Open House to experience first hand the success of the program.
The Peaceful Playground concept was initially presented to the PTO and staff by Maureen Borowski, physical education teacher, to support the Civil Behavior school improvement goal.
The Specials Learning Team will follow up by collecting data to support the success of the Peaceful Playground program. Data collection will include surveys, documentation of playground infractions using behavior warnings, and monitoring playground injuries.
“I have not had to settle one playground conflict this year. I attribute this to our Peaceful Playground.”
Students are learning to take ownership of problem solving. They love this program. They have even written about it during an all school writing activity,” said Anne Ham, fifth grade teacher.
“When Mrs. Creely, our principal, presented the writing samples at a PTO meeting, many parents noticed the vast number of positive comments regarding the Peaceful Playground. That says a lot about the success of the program.”
Visitors are always welcome to visit the Peaceful Playground and see for themselves the impact of the program on the Field School family.
