District 49 was awarded a 5-year, $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense Education Activity, which will allow the district to improve social-emotional support through the implementation of restorative practices. Training are held regularily to educate District 49 staff and community members on restorative principles.
Restorative practices focus on building, maintaining and repairing relationships among all members of the school community. Unlike restorative juice, the goal of restorative practices is to provide a culture of empathy and acceptance, so that no damage will be done in the first place. It does not include the removal of discipline or consequences, but rather to restore relationships among the doer of the harm, and the student who received it. This can include peer mediation and restorative circles. Read more.
