The Positive Behaviour for Learning School-Wide framework, otherwise known as PB4L School-Wide, is helping New Zealand schools build a culture where positive behaviour and learning is a way of life.

The framework has been tailored to suit our school environment and cultural needs. It’s not about changing the students; it’s about changing the environment, systems and practices we have in place to support them to make positive behaviour choices.

We are a Positive Behaviour for Learning School. PB4L is all about teaching children the right behaviour, just like we teach any other subject at school.

• If a student does not know how to read, we teach

• If a student does not know how to swim, we teach

• If a student does not know how to multiply, we teach

• If a student does not know how to behave, we teach.

Visit this website to find out more: http://pb4l.tki.org.nz/PB4L-School-Wide/What-is-PB4L-School-Wide

The Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme

The Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme is a whole school programme for Primary and Intermediate Schools that teaches essential life skills for peaceful conflict resolution. It is suitable for all members of the school community; students, teachers and parents. The skills taught empower individuals to build positive, caring relationships with others especially when conflict arises over differences.

Our students are easily identifiable by the green vest they wear, the badges and the clipboard they carry. If a problem is deemed too serious by a peer mediator, it is referred to a duty teacher.

Skills the peer mediators are taught include:

• How to Use “I” statements

There are 3 parts to giving a constructive, helpful “I” statement. First of all, state your feelings, then describe what happened to cause this feeling. Finally, explain the consequence for you.
I feel ... (state the feeling)
When ... (describe what happened to cause this feeling) Because ... (explain the consequence for you)

• Perception

Conflict happens because different people may look at the same situation in many different ways.
Never assume you know what someone is thinking or feeling ... just as you don’t want others to assume they know what you are thinking or feeling.

There may be two or more sides to a story.

• Active listening- hearing and understanding the message being shared. Also being aware of body language.

• Paraphrasing- repeating back the main idea in your own words.

Rules of peer mediation:

• Listen to each other – you’ll each get a turn

• One person speaks at a time

• Be respectful

• Be honest – tell the truth

• Agree to solve the problem together

Below are the Four Key Steps the children follow when working through a conflict with the playground Peer Mediators:

1. Defining the Problem:

The Peer Mediators ask the following questions to enable the disputants to share their concerns and listen to each other:

• “Do you agree to the rules?”

• “Who would like to speak first?”

• “What happened?”

• “Is there anything else you can think of?”

• “How did this make you feel?” (disputant is encouraged to use an ‘I Statement’ e.g. I feel….

• when you…. because…. I would like/I need….)

The Peer Mediator repeats the problem and feelings back to this disputant, then this process is repeated with the second disputant.

2. Summarising:

One of the Peer Mediators summarises the overall problem: “So I am hearing the problem is about …”. This ensures everyone understands the actual problem.

3. Finding Solutions/Negotiating:

Possible solutions are brainstormed by asking the disputants one of the following questions:

• “What could you do to solve this problem?”

• “What could you do differently next time so that you don’t have this problem?”

• “What do you need to solve this problem?”

4. Reaching Agreement:

The Peer Mediators work with the disputants until a solution is reached that both are happy with. The Peer Mediators then congratulate them on reaching an agreement to solve their problem and complete an agreement form which is signed by the disputants. Everyone shakes hands.

At the end of each year, year 5 students are given the opportunity to become peer mediators and be involved in the training for the following year.

Congratulations to our 2021 peer mediators. They are:

Fleur, Rylie, Rosie, Jasmine, Max, Oakley, Matthew, Oliver, Harry, Billy, Thomas , Yann, Isla, Tayla & Archer

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