This year Diamond Lake School District 76 has been integrating Restorative Practices as a form of student support and conflict resolution. Ms. Tracy Zeman, Director of Student Support and Assessments, has led this initiative at West Oak Middle School using her professional workspace for Restorative Circles with students and staff. The addition of restorative practices has been enhancing and strengthening our students socially and emotionally.
This practice has been highly beneficial for students and staff by providing a space for students to resolve incidents with their peers in a positive and productive manner. Circles are held when students request meetings to work through situations with their peers and they feel they need a safe, monitored, environment for discussion and resolution of the situation. Since the beginning of the school year, restorative practices have been productively utilized with students per student request as well as held with staff and students to resolve classroom concerns through discussion leading to an understanding and an positive behavioral agreement.