Restorative Practices

Smoky Hill is proud to be facilitating Restorative Practices in our school. We want our students to build strong individual and community relationships that create belonging and value. We find value in providing students with a safe place to voice concerns and provide a system of communal accountability that is proactive. 80% of restorative practices are designed to prevent punitive discipline outcomes. This occurs through the 5 Rs. 

5Rs- Relationships, Responsibility, Respect, Repair, Reintegration

By focusing on Relationships, we aim to cultivate a sense of connection and trust among students, teachers, staff, and parents. Building positive relationships is essential in creating a safe and supportive learning environment where everyone feels heard and valued.

Mutual Respect helps foster empathy and understanding between individuals. We believe that when respect is at the core of our interactions, conflicts can be resolved more effectively and proactively.

Taking Responsibility for one's actions is an integral part of personal growth. By holding ourselves accountable for our choices and behaviors, we learn valuable life skills that contribute to personal development.

Repairing harm caused by our actions is a crucial aspect of Restorative Practices. Through open dialogue and active listening in community circles or formal conversations facilitated by trained professionals, individuals have the opportunity to understand the impact of their actions on others and work towards repairing those relationships.

Reintegration focuses on helping individuals reintegrate into the community after a conflict or incident has occurred. By providing support during this process, we ensure that everyone has the chance to grow from their experiences while still feeling valued within our community.

Our Smoky Hill Restorative Practices Goals 

1. 100% of SHHS classes will complete social contracts for each class. The social contract will be posted and updated for each class throughout the year.

2. Community circles are being facilitated in all advisory classes weekly. Administration will support circle implementation

3. Create a Restorative Practice Cohort that works to complete formal conversations to repair harm between members of our Smoky Hill community.

Our Restorative Practices Goals are centered around creating a collaborative, trusting classroom environment with relationships being at the center. By having all of our teachers complete Social Contracts we build a classroom community that is based on the STUDENTS and TEACHERS needs to have a positive and accountable classroom. The social contract is mutually agreed upon and revisited throughout the school year. 

Our Community Circles are completed during Advisory weekly. All students and the teacher sit in a circle and the teacher provides a talking piece to give power to the speaker and provide the listeners the opportunity to listen. The teacher will then ask a question designed to build relationships, understanding and trust within the classroom setting. The teacher will then answer the question first and pass the talking piece to his/her left so students have their voice heard. Circles allow students to learn about their peers and their teacher in a way that limits power dynamics. 

If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to Reid Heller. I am happy to facilitate conversation between teacher to student, student to student, or between groups of people. 

Reid Heller, Campus Administrator. RHeller@cherrycreekschools.org. 

https://www.edutopia.org/video/social-contracts-foster-community-classroom/