Participants in the San Francisco Archdiocese Restorative Justice Ministry's homicide survivors assistance and support retreat (Photo by Christina Gray/Catholic San Francisco)

The Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco Restorative Justice Ministry recently hosted a retreat for nearly 40 survivors of homicide and representatives of organizations that support them. The retreat included Restorative Responses to Adversity and Trauma, a professional development event conducted by the International Institute for Restorative Practices. The event gave participants a deeper understanding of their own trauma and loss as well as skills to help themselves and others cope with similar experiences.

“The most amazing thing was getting people to the leadership moment, where they can actually begin to see their healing on a higher and deeper level, as well as some restoration as a step in their healing process,” affirms Julio Escobar, director of the Restorative Justice Ministry. “We wanted to introduce the concept of restorative justice and restorative practices from an accredited organization like the IIRP,” he explains.

The IIRP Graduate School Class of 2015 is finding inspired new ways to take their passion for restorative practices out into the world, employing explicit elements of the practices to develop new ideas in their fields, workplaces and communities.

Their capstone projects, which they presented in a final paper and oral presentation, explored:

The International Institute for Restorative Practices Canada (IIRP Canada) is pleased to welcome two new members to the team, Gayle Desmeules, who will serve as the Regional Representative for Western Canada, and Peggy Barrette, who joins the team as a bilingual trainer and consultant providing learning opportunities in French as well as in English.

One of our IIRP Canada Instructors, Caroline Gosling was recently a guest on the Ever Active PodClass Podcast to discuss Restorative Justice in a School Setting.

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Restorative Practices & Safe Schools – changes in legislation in Ontario for primary students and the application of Restorative Practices

Finally!!!

I was recently researching Bill 197 and its amendments to The Education Act, more specifically the changes in regulations to suspensions of Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 students. I thought it would be important to brush up on these new regulations given that I had been recently called into a school as a “supply principal”.   

Many leaders in education have highlighted the importance of establishing collaborative communities for teaching and learning mathematics.

In recent years there has been a lot of research addressing the common occurrence of math anxiety and its negative impact on teaching and learning math.  Specifically, experiences where there has been a focus on speed and reaching correct answers by following a particular rule, procedure or method have been connected to the development of math anxiety in many teachers and students.

Punishment, according to a quick search, is defined as “the infliction or imposition of a penalty as retribution for an offense.”(source, retrieved March 3, 2021).  The words associated that appear with this search are penalizing, punishing, disciplining, retribution, damnation, and chastising – YIKES!

I have always been uncomfortable with this idea of “punishment” – a feeling that was amplified when I began working in education.

Bruce Schenk (right), along with IIRP President John Bailie at the IIRP Canada Conference in Toronto, 2018.It is with a great sense of warmth and gratitude that we say farewell to Bruce Schenk, who is retiring as Director of IIRP Canada after serving for 12 years. Bruce’s pioneering work in Canada has been instrumental in extending the ability of individuals and organizations to foster healthy, meaningful relationships in schools, justice systems, workplaces and other areas of society.

“When I started in 2008, restorative justice was a known thing in criminal and juvenile justice circles in Canada, and a little bit in schools, but not restorative practices,” says Bruce. “The thing I’m feeling really good about is how restorative practice is now seen as applicable to so many areas, especially education, and IIRP Canada has had a big role in that.”

This video features a conversation with Pat Lewis, the new director of IIRP Canada. Listen to Pat as she reflects on the past year, the most important elements of restorative practices, and her vision for the future of IIRP Canada within the field of restorative practices.