4th Grade Diplomacy

One of the great things about spending lots of time in an elementary school is that world issues and problems really get brought down to the basic levels. Case in point---during lunch time today, two different adult staff members came running up to me with the news that about 20 kids were standing around up on a hill (where playing is NOT allowed) while other kids were fighting. The fight ended up with two kids punching each other and then rolling down the hill together

So.....with my lunch in hand, I met with all of the parties and after 30 minutes of discussion was able to ascertain that this all came from some 4th grade boys "defending" their territory marked by large pieces of cardboard boxes against some other 4th grade boys. One group decided to get "help" from some 6th graders and the mayhem began.

The good news is that every one fessed up to their part in this mass confusion and at the end all shook hands and agreed to the consequences which involve telling their parents exactly what happened and their role in it, writing an essay for the principal about their feelings and reflecting on what they will do should there be a similar situation (and 4th grade boys HATE to write) and devoting a day of recess next week to some kind of community service project such as picking up trash or shadowing the custodians and helping with an entire campus clean up.

I reflected with the kids that this is exactly what happens on a world scale when one group of people feels the need to "defend" something and how so many, many people get pulled into conflicts not of their own making. All in all, I think it was a good experience both on a personal level and on a bigger level.

More next week---when those essays come in.