School Counseling Programs

Crestwood Eagles have SWAG!

SWAG stands for Students With Amazing Growth.  Each month we celebrate students who have shown growth.  They receive a certificate which we display on our SWAG board.  They also have their names published on the School News, otherwise known as WCMS.  Congratulations to all the SWAG award winners!

Peer Mediation is a positive process in which student mediators help their peers solve problems before adults get involved. Peer Mediation is also a chance for students to sit face to face and talk, uninterrupted, so each person is heard. The students and mediators work together to find a peaceful solution.

Who is a Student Mediator?

A student mediator is an 8th grader who has been trained to conduct mediations. Students are trained by district personnel to ensure they are fully prepared to do mediations. The student mediators ensure the mediation session is helpful and fair. They listen to each disputant’s side of the story and guide the disputants to a mutual resolution.

How does a Peer Mediation Work?

• Mediations take place in private, but there is always a Counselor supervising.
• Mediators work in pairs of two so there are always two peer mediators.
• First, the disputants are informed of the rules: no interrupting, no name-calling or put downs, be as honest as possible, agree to solve the problem, everything said is confidential.
• Next, mediators ask each disputant to tell their side of the story.
• Then the problem is defined, and solutions are created.
• When an agreement is reached, it is written and signed.

Why does Crestwood have a Peer Mediator Program?

1. Conflicts that do not get resolved often result in hurt feelings, which could cause friendship problems
2. Students learn to choose a peaceful, responsible way to solve their own problems
3. Students develop mutual respect and clear communication
4. It is a developmentally appropriate option students can take before turning to an adult to help solve a problem
5. Peer Mediation helps make Crestwood a more positive place to learn and grow.
6. Empowers students with the skills and strategies for dealing with conflict
7. Develops communication and decision-making tools that influence choices in the future
8. Helps students gain perspective and understanding of themselves, others, and their issues
9. Improves school climate by building relationships
10. Builds a strong sense of cooperation within the school community in order to address disputes that interfere with learning!

The Safe School Ambassadors program is based on a solid foundation of research and principles that have been validated for many years. There are some important ways that Safe School Ambassadors is unique and differs from other programs:

• It involves the "change-agents" by identifying and recruiting "socially-influential" students. Research shows that these are the students who determine what's okay and not okay and have the power to change the way young people treat each other.
• It is a skills-based program that equips students with powerful, nonviolent communication and intervention skills so they can speak up and take effective actions when they see their friends and classmates mistreat others.
• It equips students to defuse potential incidents in the moment, as opposed to conflict resolution programs that require a structured meeting that might be held hours or even days after an incident occurs.
• It provides participating students with structure and support through regularly-scheduled Family Group meetings of 7-10 Ambassadors with 1-2 trusted adults, where they discuss their interventions, practice their skills, and receive support for their efforts.
• It is a sustainable model, a year-round program, which research has shown has immediate impact as well as lasting and measurable results.

Crestwood Middle School kicked off "Start With Hello Week" with Meet-n-Greet! This week join us by intentionally meeting new people by greeting them with your own personalized "Hello Style" (hola, hi, hello, hey, what's up, bonjour, salve, asalaam alaikum, konnichiwa, good morning, etc.).