Dear caregivers & greater community,
As we continue to foster a nurturing environment where every student feels valued, respected, and empowered, we recognize that learning extends far beyond the classroom. One critical aspect of character development is the concept of restitution—the process of making amends and taking responsibility for one’s actions. It’s a value that helps our students build empathy, accountability, and trust, and it is one that we believe should be reinforced not only in school but at home as well. We are excited to invite you to an upcoming course for parents from our friends at www.realrestitution.com.
Restitution is a philosophy of discipline created by Diane Gossen and based on William Glasser’s Choice Theory principles. Restitution focuses on how people can creatively correct their mistakes emphasizing positive solutions. Mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn and grow. It's about learning to make things right.
Restitution for Parents will be running January 6 - 26, 2025. This course is ideal for anyone who is interested in creating an environment where behaviour is managed not by punishments or rewards, but by encouraging kids to be internally motivated and self-disciplined. These ideas are essential for teachers, parents, youth-care workers - anyone interested in helping kids to grow and flourish!
For more information on the courses or to register, click here, or go to www.realrestitution.com and click on "Workshops and Registration". You can also find more information there about Restitution, as well as the Real Restitution online bookstore. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact these incredible folks offering this course at their website.
The Restitution for Parents course strives to provide maximum flexibility for participants by using a virtual platform. The course starts with a one-hour zoom meeting that brings a cohort of learners together. After this initial meeting, participants will receive an email that will provide the information required to log-in to the self-directed online modules of the course. The self-directed modules involve reading, watching videos, completing activities, and submitting short reflective exercises to the instructor for feedback. Participants can log in and out of the platform and complete these at their own leisure. There are two additional one-hour zoom meetings designed to bring participants together for discussion and interactive exercises.
We believe that when school and home work together, we can create a community where students feel supported in their efforts to make amends, learn from their mistakes, and grow into responsible, caring individuals. Your involvement in this workshop will provide you with the tools to reinforce these lessons in your home and further strengthen the bond between school and family.
Hope you’ll consider learning more about Restitution. It’s an honor to work together to build a stronger, more compassionate community for our students.
Warm regards,
Great River School - Student Services