RIDER PRIDE

REGINA -- Young role models from 15 Regina elementary schools learned Monday that conflicts happen everywhere but there are simple ways to resolve them.

Volunteer students in grades 4 to 8 who are part of the Playground Conflict Management program within their schools had the chance to meet another role model in their community — Saskatchewan Roughrider Jeremy O’Day.

As a guest speaker he congratulated the group of 400 conflict managers gathered at F.W. Johnson Collegiate for a conference, on their efforts to help younger students.

“You guys are the team captains of your schools,” O’Day said. “There is always someone who is looking up to you.”
In a classroom session with grade 7 and 8 students, O’Day talked about the types of conflicts that he sees while playing football. He said communicating with other players is important to see how to correct mistakes such as missing blocks or passes, rather than placing the blame on a teammate.

On a football team you have to get along with a big group to create a positive environment and that is exactly what playground conflict managers do.

“That helps everyone at the school when (kids) are able to feel comfortable and come to school without feeling like they are going to get bullied or picked on,” O’Day said.

During the afternoon conference, the conflict managers from across the city met with each other, participated in leadership activities and got a boost of encouragement for the volunteer work they do at recesses through the school year.

Janne Hislop, a teacher at Elsie Mironuck School helped co-ordinate the 12th annual conference. She said the students who volunteer are enthusiastic leaders who are helpful, caring and generous. She sees the success of the program on the playground at her school. The volunteers act as role models for younger students and are able to help out when common school-yard arguments break out.

“Older students are there to listen to both sides of the story, figure out exactly what happened and make sure that in the end both students are happy,” Hislop said.

Bryce Giesbrecht, a grade seven conflict manager understood that playgrounds are not always fun places, especially for kids who are not very popular. He said most problems he helps deal with are very simple, but sometimes they can escalate into fist fights where kids get hurt.

“The most common answer (to problems) is to just stay away from each other, but (this) doesn’t really help,” he said. “We don’t make solutions for them, they have to come up with them on their own, but we talk them through it.”

Hislop said the mediation training these students receive also gives them the skills to deal with peers their own age. She said the students are empowered to help each other rather than always going to an adult.

Meanwhile, a cycle of positive behaviour continues as younger students take on the responsibility and become conflict managers themselves.
achristianson@leaderpost.canwest.com