Peer mediation, a regional program run by peer mediation trainer Susan Wallace, works with fourth graders and up. The program's exercises simulate problems pertinent to students' lives and offers strategies for resolving them. Students are taught words to use as tools to address problems. I've often overheard children on the playground just using the vocabulary words to resolve an issue. They'll say, 'It hurt my feelings when you didn't give me a turn,' and the kids take it from there.
Some problems continue to require adult intervention.
Peer mediators have frustrations, too. Santucci said she hopes to get students from Williamsburg and New Hingham together to discuss what each is doing in peer mediation. Tentative plans are to invite students of Williamsburg and David Sprague, mediation counselor in the Williamsburg elementary schools, to put together a mediation fair in June. Students and staff will work to plan restoration of a cellar hole on the property, and will devise botany, biology, math and history lessons from the project. The teaching staff has expanded to accommodate large classes.