Playground Expectations

• Students will follow the VG Code of  Ethics:

  1. Hurt No One on the Inside or Outside

  2. Respect Your School and All Property

  3. Special Places Require Special Behavior

• Students will demonstrate kindness and empathy and treat adults and other students with respect.

• Students will use appropriate language, demonstrate courtesy and good manners.

Examples: Hurt No One on the Inside

• Use kind words (no name-calling)

• Be inclusive (let others play with you)

• Use kind voices 

Examples: Hurt No One on the Outside

• Keep your hands to yourself

• Leave nature with nature (no sticks)

• Leave the tanbark on the ground

• Keep balls low whenever possible

• Throw balls to a friend (not at)

Students and teachers are encouraged to utilize conflict resolution procedures to settle problems that include: cooling down, stating concerns, listening to other's concerns, listing several possible solutions, and then agreeing on one solution. Students are encouraged to fill in the blanks whenever possible. "I feel _________when you________and I would like ______." Adults are available to help facilitate students to becoming independent conflict resolvers whenever possible.

Great way to reinforce: Hurt No One on the Inside or Outside

Thank you for helping reinforce this!

1. If someone says something to you that bothers you or is not nice:

Say= "STOP, that's not nice, don't say that"

2. If someone hurts you or touches you in a way that bothers you:

Say= "STOP, don't do that to my body"

3. If you see someone treating someone unkindly or hurting someone else:

Say= STOP, don't treat them like that

How does this work on the Playground?

Make Safe Choices

• Stay where an adult can see you (not behind the trees…)

• Stay within the boundaries (Do not go past the path around the grass, do not go into the dirt area past the big playground, do not go behind the big storage containers)

• One way traffic on slides and feet first

• Don’t climb over walls on the play structure

• Keep moving on the monkey bars (no sitting on top)

• Don’t touch things that aren't yours/tell an adult if you are concerned about something you’ve found 

Be Respectful

• Just say yes or OK if redirected by an adult

• Maintain your personal space

• Ask your friends how they want to play

• Acknowledge and comply when a friend asks you to stop something

• Respect nature

• Clean up after ourselves (don’t litter)

• Play by the rules

**Gaga Ball, Handball, and Ball Wall rules will be reviewed in PE and the goal is to post them on the playground

Manage Issues on the Playground

• Use your words to say stop (others won’t know what you think if you don’t use your words)

• Be specific about what to stop

• When asked to stop, acknowledge that you will stop

• Use your feet to walk away or go to an adult

• Ask questions--assume schoolmates are trying to be kind and ask questions if it seems that someone is not being kind  (Why did you bump into me?  I tripped, sorry.

     Why are you touching me? You had a bug on you.)

• You don’t have to be best friends with everyone but you must be kind and respectful

• Encourage your friends to be kind and follow the rules too

Take Responsibility for Your Actions

• Say sorry when appropriate

• Tell the truth

• Acknowledge mistakes and do better next time

Tattling vs. Telling

• Use your words

• Ask for help for safety, kindness

• Focus on your own behavior