To Whom It May Concern:
I am pleased to write in support of the Help Increase
the Peace program for use in a school setting. Two years ago, the Martin Kellogg Middle
School Parent Advisory Council sponsored the first two groups in this program. The
fourteen students who participated were eighth grade students who had been suspended
repeatedly for violent or aggressive behaviors. The second group consisted of students who
volunteered. At this time, the program was implemented over a three day period during
school hours and was facilitated by two trainers who had had experience offering the adult
version at the Enfield Prison. The results of the program far exceeded our expectations.
By the end of the school year, none of these students had engaged in any further violent
or aggressive acts. Moreover, the eighth grade teachers and numerous students reported that
the entire atmosphere in the eighth grade wing had improved noticeably.
Although we had not intended to continue the program the
following year, I was so impressed with the results that I decided to try to establish a
program at Kellogg. To do so, I met with faculty, community, and parent groups, to seer
volunteers to be trained as facilitators. Seven adults, four teachers and three community
members, have become trained facilitators. During the 1995-96 school year it was our
intention to offer the program to at least two groups of students, feeling that this would
be quite an accomplishment for one school year. However, the twenty students who
participated in the basic workshop were so enthusiastic that they pleaded with us to
provide them with the two additional workshops so that they too could become facilitators.
The adult facilitators were equally enthusiastic. As a result, these twenty students, who
have now moved on to high school, will return to Kellogg to complete their training and
will then volunteer to assist the adult facilitators to provide on-going workshops for our
present eighth grade students.
Support for this program on the part of parents,
teachers and students has been nothing short of amazing. We are already receiving
inquiries from around the state from educators who are interested in bringing the program
to their own systems. Because our main focus at this point must be on nurturing this
program at Kellogg, we will be unable to provide facilitators to other school systems.
However, we do want to support anyone who wishes to learn more about the program. We are
developing a schedule of times when the basic Help Increase the Peace workshops will be
offered during 1996-97. Any person from another school district who wishes to participate
in one of our basic workshops will be welcome to do so on a space-available basis. We
would also welcome a small number of students to participate along with a staff member
from another district. If you wish to receive a schedule of workshops you may contact the
school and we will be happy to provide it. I will also attempt to provide some technical
assistance should you require it to the extent that our resources will permit.
I strongly urge you to consider the implementation of
this very fine program. I have seen the difference it can make in the lives of children
and in the culture of the school itself, even on the very limited basis in which it has
been implemented at Kellogg. Surely there is no more pressing problem confronting us today
than that of teaching ourselves and our young people how to increase the peace.
Respectfully,
Amzie S. Brown, Principal
Martin Kellogg Middle School
Newington, Connecticut |
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