The school is located in a high-crime area and the faculty
needed to find ways to help the children cope with and live with
the circumstances of their surroundings, to teach children to
respect, give, share and take responsibility for themselves and
others. To achieve these aspirations, the “Peace Program” was
created.
The Peace Program, which has received national recognition,
teaches the children how to resolve their differences in a
non-confrontational manner and consists of five major elements:
The Peace Wall – A wall where pictures of students
who have been nominated as peacemakers by their peers and/or their
teachers are displayed. The names of all nominated students are also
broadcast over the public address system.
The Peace Room – A room where students go to
resolve conflicts peacefully with other students. An adult may be
present if the students choose, but more often than not, the
students will request to go by themselves to resolve their
differences.
The Peace Assembly – All students who are nominated
to the Peace Wall over the course of the school year are honored at a
special assembly in the Spring. Three peace medals are awarded to the most
deserving students and receiving one of these medals is the highest
honor a student can earn at St. Francis.
After School Peace Clubs – After school clubs
meet weekly for activities that include drama, cooking, fitness,
arts and crafts and board games with peace activities woven in. As
one student so aptly noted, he likes “the programs because they
get you off the streets and into positive things".
A "Peace-Pilgrim" – Comes in each week to teach
the children how to become peacemakers.
Lessons learned in the peace room, and at St. Francis in
general, teach non-confrontational problem solving, which the
children can carry through life.
