May 2015

Peer Mediation
Volume iv, issue v
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Celebrating another
SUCCESSFUL year!
P. 2-3
May 2015
2014-2015 School Year Data P. 4
Introducing our NEW Youth P. 5
Program Coordinator!
WOW! We have had quite an active and ever-expanding Peer Mediation Program this school year!
We have been busy working up to the last weeks of school, visiting old friends at Southwest Middle
School and celebrating staff and schools for another outstanding school year!
As the school year has come to an end, we have spent time celebrating the many
accomplishments in our partner schools. Specifically, we recognized three school counselors
for their work and support of the Peer Mediation Program, and we also recognized three
schools for their exceptional implementation and utilization of the Peer Mediation Program.
We have featured them in pages two and three of this issue—be sure to check them out!
With each school year comes many changes. While change can be challenging, change
can also be a positive growing and creative process that propels us into more ideas, more
energy, and more excitement than before. For the past three years, I have had the honor of
serving as the Youth Program Coordinator and have had countless memorable interactions
with kind, compassionate and talented staff and students who have committed wholeheartedly
to the mediation process and the peaceful solution-oriented mission of the Program. In June,
my husband and I will be pursing a new adventure in Memphis, TN. As I prepare to move, I
take with me the stories of resilience, compassion and strength that I have witnessed and
experience through my time as the Youth Program Coordinator. I am so thankful to have had
the opportunity to serve and partner with you, and I know without a doubt that this Program
will continue its positive, effective and transforming work when we have partners and
supporters like you!
With this change, it is my honor to introduce you to our new Youth Program
Coordinator (find out more about her on page 5!). Crystal Commodore brings with her a
wealth of experience and an eagerness to learn more through her work with the Peer
Mediation Program.
Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have had the chance to partner with you
for the past three years. With hard working and dedicated staff like yourself, I know that this
Program will continue to grow and strengthen. I am honored to have worked with staff like
you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
V O L U M E I V, I S S U E V
CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES!
Page 2
Every year, the Mediation Center seeks to publically recognize and celebrate the hard work our staff, students and schools have done during the school year in implementing and utilizing the Peer Mediation Program. This year, we presented awards to three SCCPSS School Counselors to recognize, celebrate and thank
them for their support of the Peer Mediation Program at their school. We also presented Myers Middle
School, DeRenne Middle School and Beach High School with an Outstanding School award for their use of
Peer Mediation when addressing student discipline. Please join us in celebrating these award recipients!
2015 COUNSELOR AWARDS
The Mediation Center recognizes that many School Counselors are the reasons why the Peer Mediation Program is
utilized and effective. They often serve as the Site Coordinator for the Program, and do their best to balance both their
work with students and their work in creating a peaceful and positive environment at school. Thus, The Mediation
Center has chosen to recognize several School Counselors every school year and celebrate their hard work and
dedication to the Peer Mediation Program.
Ms. Carla Cantrell – Charles Ellis Montessori Academy
Ms. Cantrell has been a long-time supporter of the Peer Mediation Program at Charles Ellis Montessori Academy. Ms. Cantrell has managed, supported, and encouraged a Peer Mediation Program that is self-run and
integrated seamlessly into the life of Ellis. Because of her hard work and dedication to the Peer Mediation
Program, Charles Ellis Montessori Academy received the Outstanding "Above and Beyond" School Award for
the 2012-2013 School Year from The Mediation Center.
Ms. Terri Golden – Hubert Middle School & DeRenne Middle School
Ms. Golden has been a long-time supporter of the Peer Mediation Program at both Hubert Middle School
and DeRenne Middle School. Ms. Golden started her Peer Mediation partnership at Hubert Middle School,
where she created a team of students to be effective change-makers. Specifically, she encouraged several students from the Risers Academy for Young Men at Hubert to become Peer Mediators. Through her work and
support of the Program, Hubert Middle School received the Outstanding Veteran School Award for the 2012
-2013 School Year from The Mediation Center. As if that would not keep her busy enough, Ms. Golden rose
to meet the needs at DeRenne Middle School this year when they were in need of a Site Coordinator. Since
August 2014, Ms. Golden has helped oversee both Peer Mediation Programs at Hubert and DeRenne.
Ms. Michelle Oliver – Myers Middle School
Ms. Oliver was part of the team of staff at Myers Middle School who implemented the Peer Mediation Program during the second semester of school. Since their new student training in the middle of January, the
Peer Mediation Program at Myers has mediated 55 cases involving 152 students, settling all but two cases this
school year (that’s a 96% agreement rate)! Ms. Oliver exemplifies what it looks like to fully utilize the Peer
Mediation Program, no matter how much time is left in the school year!
2015 SCHOOL AWARDS
Each school year, The Mediation Center recognizes and celebrates several partner schools for their commitment to the
Peer Mediation Program for the past school year. Each school awarded this honor represents and personifies the mission of the Center by harnessing the power of student leaders and education to transform conflict into opportunity and
growth and to increase one’s access to just, peaceful and future-oriented solutions.
DeRenne Middle School
Under the direction of Principal Ms. Mobley and School Counselors
Mr. Norman and Ms. Golden, the DeRenne Peer Mediators have
been committed to leading peaceful and positive change in student
conflict for several years. This year, the graduating 8th grade
Peer Mediators have been faithfully serving and volunteering their time since they were in 6th grade, and their impact
has been huge. Thank you, DeRenne Dolphins, for committing to
making a change in your community for the last three years!
Myers Middle School
The Peer Mediation team at Myers Middle School have been working hard ever since they got trained in January.
Through the support of Principal Ms. Washington, School Counselor Ms. Oliver and support staff Ms. White and Ms.
Wilford, students have been referred to Peer Mediation at a highly successful rate. The quick commitment to the
Program and the frequent referrals to Peer Mediation has set Myers apart from all other schools this year—despite
only implementing this Program for half a school year, the team at Myers Middle School have mediated more cases and
students than some schools who have had the Program for the entire year! And as if that was not enough to brag on—
8th grader and Peer Mediator MiQuan Green was named SCCPSS Superintendent’s Student of the
Month in January! This school is doing great things, and their hard work and dedication is being noticed both in and
out of their involvement with the Peer Mediation Program.
Beach High School
Talk about a talented group of young people! Principal Mr. Muhammad and Parent Involvement Coordinator Dr.
Wright have successfully overseen a group of Peer Mediators who have not allowed the challenges of implementing a
Program to drag them down. While they were not able to mediate as much as they would have liked, the Peer
Mediators at Beach High School have excelled and exemplified their leadership skills in both their school community
and the greater Savannah community—and they are getting recognized for it. Graduating senior and Peer
Mediator Tyrone Holmes is a proud recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship this year; this scholarship helps pay for undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and doctoral degrees for each student receiving this
award! We are proud of Mr. Holmes and his fellow Peer Mediators for using their gifts and talents to make positive
and lasting impacts in the communities that they live and lead in!
Page 3
P E E R M E DI A T I O N
2014—2015 Peer Mediation
Program Data
August 2014—April 2015
444
The number of 4th-12th grade students
who successfully completed training and
served as Peer Mediators.
84%
The percentage of Peer Mediators who
reported that the Peer Mediation Training
taught them how to handle conflicts
peacefully and proactively in the future.
(Retrospective Pre/Post Evaluation, TMC © 2013)
100%
The percentage of students (who
participated in Peer Mediation) who
reported that their Peer Mediator listened
to them and were fair and neutral during
the mediation session.
98%
The percentage of students who believed
that the skills they learned and used in
Peer Mediation will be helpful to them in
future instances of conflict.
406
The number of students who were referred
to Peer Mediation and participated in the
Peer Mediation process.
176
The number of total mediations conducted
during the 2013-2014 school year.
96%
The percentage of cases that were
successfully mediated—mediation resulted
in a signed agreement that did not require
further disciplinary intervention or actions
by school administrators.
92%
The percentage of students who believed
that Peer Mediation successfully helped
them solve their conflict.
93%
The percentage of students who, believed
that Peer Mediation is/was more effective in
dealing with their conflicts than receiving a
punitive disciplinary referral.
“...they were good Peer Mediators and they helped us with our problem and I thank them for
that. I prefer Peer Mediation because the people that are helping you know and they can help
you with your problems and that’s a good thing that people can help you.”
Page 4
P E E R M E DI A T I O N
Page 5
V O L U M E I V, I S S U E V
Meet our NEW Youth Program Coordinator!
Crystal Commodore Pippen has more than 15 years of progressive
leadership and experience working with as many as 400 students in Title I
schools. Crystal comes from a diverse professional and academic background
where she served as a Booster Club President, generating increased
participation as well as revenue. Crystal has co-chaired Girls-On-The-Run
over three years.
Crystal’s hands-on approach to leadership and open communications style,
has proven to be a champion of positive change, encouraging teams to work
collaboratively advising students and student groups.
Skilled at identifying problem areas and recommending remedial action, she is
also adept at building the individual commitment necessary to foster meaningful collaborations amongst all stakeholders. Among her previous positions,
Crystal holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Armstrong State University in
Psychology and a Masters of Education (M.Ed.) Curriculum, Instruction,
Assessment from Strayer University.
Crystal looks forward to working with each of you as the new Youth
Program Coordinator to increase positive learning communities!
Please feel free to send her an email at [[email protected]] and welcome her to
the Peer Mediation Program Family!
PEER MEDIATOR SUMMER TRAINING
This summer, the Mediation Center has partnered with SCCPSS to host a series of FREE TRAINING
SESSIONS for students interested in serving their school community as a Peer Mediator for the 2015-2016
school year.
At this training, students will learn valuable skills in conflict resolution and problem solving. Through engaging
group activities to introspective individual work to active and dramatic role plays, students will learn about
their own responses to conflict as well as how they can be leaders and peacemakers for their peers. At the
end of the two-day training, they will be certified to serve as a Peer Mediator at their school and their name
will be added to the Peer Mediator list for the 2015-2016 school year. As a staff member at a partnering
school, you should have received a summer flyer via email detailing this training opportunity.
As a partner and supporter of the Peer Mediation Program, you are welcome and invited to participate in
the summer training by attending and observing your students learn and interact with each other. If you are
interested in doing that, please let us know! The training dates and locations are listed below:
Rising 4th and 5th Graders | Thursday June 4th & Friday June 5th | East Broad Street School
Rising 6th-8th Graders | Thursday June 11th & Friday June 12th | Myers Middle School
Rising 9th-12th Graders | Thursday June 18th & Friday June 19th | Southwest Middle School
For more information, please visit: http://mediationsavannah.com/peer-mediator-summer-training-2015/
In 2007 the Mediation Center began training students in an
alternative learning center, for designated felons and students
with long-term suspensions, for peer mediation. The staff saw
changes in the students and was able to recommend some to be
returned to regular schools because of the emotional growth in
the students.
5105 Paulsen Street Suite 125-D
5105 Paulsen
Street
Suite 125-D
Savannah,
GA 31405
Savannah, GA 31405
Phone: (912) 354-6686
Phone:
(912)
354-6686
Fax: (912)
354-8690
Fax:
(912) 354-8690
Peermediation@mediationsavannahcom
[email protected]
PEER MEDIATION
Since then, the Mediation Center has grown the Peer Mediation
Program to having active and working Programs in many
schools in the Savannah-area. We are continuously committed
to teaching students about peaceful conflict-resolution and are
always amazed at the great work our young people are doing!
Visit us on the web:
www.mediationsavannah.com
Our Proud Partners!
Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation
The Dunn Foundation Inc
Southern States Education Foundation, Inc.
*We would love YOU to be a proud sponsor as well! If you would like to become a sponsor, please contact us!
Youth Program Coordinator— Crystal Commodore