Restorative Justice
Restorative practices are an alternative to punishment-based discipline. The purpose is to restore “right relationships” between individuals and within a community—to repair harm and to build shared accountability for the well-being of that community and its members.
Berkwood Hedge School’s program Offering Restorative Justice (ORJ) was founded in 2016 by Senior Associate Teacher Silver Samuels, and uses play, connection, and accountability to nurture an environment of intention, mindfulness, and balance. Our restorative practices are built on activities that create deep connection between individuals and between individuals and the community, that encourage community members to participate in creating and reinforcing expectations, and that reward true accountability.
The ORJ program implements four key restorative practices:
Building Trust and Community
During recesses on the lower school, students may gather outside a classroom to work with a teacher on craft or coloring projects, creating bonds and establishing baseline relationships upon which to build. “The bonding is an integral part of the practice. Without it, why would the children trust the process to work for them?” says Silver Samuels, who leads the ORJ program.
Restorative Justice Circles
Students gather for conversations, facilitated by a teacher or our Head of School. Circles provide a tool for children to practice constructive communication on difficult topics. Each person involved in a conflict or harm has an opportunity to be heard and understood by the group.
Friendship Theatre
Sometimes a child doesn’t feel comfortable bringing an issue up in circle. Friendship Theatre, where the children role-play different scenarios, offers an opportunity for problem-solving and discussion without direct confrontation.
Repair and Service
The final component of our ORJ program focuses on repair of harm and service. When a person causes harm to the community, they may choose to complete a task that relates to the harm to help bring them back into right relationship with the community. A child may also volunteer for a task to honor that they have received a kindness.
Since implementing restorative practices consistently and universally, we have observed:
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Reduced incidents of targeting specific individuals by their peers
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Greater buy-in to community expectations and culture creation from children and adults
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More willingness to accept accountability for harm and engage in acts of meaningful repair
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Increased understanding and collaboration among staff
