Prior to implementing Playworks at Challenger Elementary, school staff explained they had hit rock bottom. Students were running the school, large incidents were happening daily, and they had tried nearly everything to remedy these issues.
After putting Playworks systems into place this year, the school environment saw a very positive shift. School staff saw a major decrease in playground referrals, games on the playground are more inclusive, and students are regularly using Ro Sham Bo to resolve conflicts.
“I was excited to have this program at Challenger Elementary, but I’m still amazed at what a positive impact it has had on the school overall. Students have activities to do during recess that they enjoy and the number of behavior referrals during recess have dropped significantly. Students are using the problem solving skills they learned on the playground and in the classroom. Ro-Sham-Bo has taken off at our school! I hear it being used all the time and no one argues the outcome. Games have structure and common rules that are understood school-wide. Teachers are reporting an increase in the amount of time spent on instruction since they aren’t spending time trying to solve problems from recess. Our Junior Coaches take their responsibilities very seriously and take pride in leading games and Playworks fits in perfectly with our existing Positive Behavior Social and Emotional Support work,” said the school’s Principal.
