Some of you might be aware of our conflict management system, Kelso's Choices and Steps to Respect, but others may not. This is a long standing, proven program that has been used for years both in our school and district-wide. I wanted to tell you a little bit about it so, if it comes up at home, you can understand the language your students are using.

Kelso's Choices is the program we use for grades kindergarten through second grade. Steps to Respect is an adapted version for our older students. You may have seen posters in classrooms and throughout the school.

Our counselor, Mrs. Ben-Menachem teaches lessons about this problem solving system in classrooms throughout the year. Students are taught that there are both "big problems" and "small problems". Big problems are problems that need to be taken to an adult. These are problems that are scary, dangerous, or illegal. Small problems are problems that cause feelings of annoyance, embarrassment, or boredom. Students are taught how to distinguish between the two types of problems.

When faced with a small problem, students are encouraged to attempt to resolve them on their own before taking them to an adult. They are taught that, when confronted with a small problem, they have nine options. They can: wait and cool off, go to another game, talk it out, share and take turns, ignore it, walk away, tell them to stop, apologize, or make a deal.

Again, this is not a program that is new but, as I talk with parents about problems and conflict management, I realize that this might be a point of interest and help for you.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Rebekah