Peer mediators lend a teaching hand

LYNN-Over the last 13 years the peer mediation program in the city’s high schools has helped prevent countless pushes, shoves and involuntary trips to the vice principal’s office, now one school is hoping to spread that peace to other schools in the community.The Lynn English High School peer mediation group took their first of three trips to the Brickett Elementary School Monday morning where they spent time with kindergarten students in an effort to teach tolerance and cooperation.After some introductions that focused on acknowledging and accepting each other’s differences, the kindergarten and high school students worked together to act out mock scenarios where a peer mediator may be needed.In the first performance, high school students mediated two kindergartners from Colleen Barry’s class who had been fighting over a swing set. The second act reversed the roles, as two kindergartners stepped in to mediate the high school students who had been fighting over a long line to the bathroom.In both cases, although they were fictional representations, the students were able to resolve their problems without the use of violence and without having to tell a teacher, which is the goal of the peer mediation group.”We feel this is something important and that every (kindergartner) should learn, too,” said peer mediator Yesenia Deleon.Brickett Principal Debra Ruggiero said she jumped at the chance to have the LEHS kids come speak to her school as it fits in with the life lessons she and her staff are trying to promote.If funding is available, Ruggiero said she would love to have the students back to speak to some older students.”A lot of what we are trying to do here is build character and teach tolerance of others,” she said. “I hope to bring them back to speak to the higher grades also, but I do not know how much funding we would need or how much time these students are allowed to leave class.”The LEHS students finished off their time with the kindergartners with a Thanksgiving-themed art project. Students again learned that everyone is different by tracing their hands and coloring them in with their own favorite colors.”It is OK to be different from each other,” mediator Innera Idris told the class. “It is actually good because when you are different you can have interesting things to talk about and learn about each other.”Peer mediation is a successful program organized at all three high schools to help resolve conflicts between students before things get out of hand. Volunteers meet with and speak to students who are having problems with one another, often times before the issue is ever brought to the attention of a teacher or administrator at the school.In most cases, students feel comfortable talking to their peers about the problem and tend to resolve the issue more quickly, and sometimes more peacefully, than they would without the meeting.”These kids come to peer mediation because we give them a chance to tell their side of the story and talk about how the problem can be resolved with someone who doesn’t take sides,” said English High School Peer Mediation Coordinator Ginny Keenan. “About 50 percent of the time the students will come to us to resolve it before they ever get to the assistant principal’s office.”