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21 <br />GUY B. PH1-LLIPS SCHOOL <br />Estes Drive <br />Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 <br />Telephone 929 -2188 <br />Lou R. Reste <br />Principal Mary Womble <br />March 30, 1992 Assistant Principal <br />Eileen Kugler <br />- - — - Director, Personal - Health,__.- _.. - - - - -- <br />Orange County Health Department <br />P.O. Box 8181 <br />Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br />Dear Ms. Kugler, <br />This letter expresses our support for and willingness to work on the injury <br />Prevention project "Reducing Intentional Injury Through Conflict Resolution <br />Training" with our sixth grade at Guy B. Phillips Middle School. We understand that <br />the Dispute Settlement Center would be contracted to provide the training, and we <br />would be happy to work with them. <br />Our school serves a diverse population of students. Approximately 245 sixth <br />graders entered Phillips this school year. An assessment of our discipline referrals <br />suggest a need for an alternative program. This year, there has been over one <br />hundred fifty five discipline referrals for the sixth grade. These figures are for the <br />first three quarters of the 1991 -92 school year. Several reasons for the referrals are <br />disrespect, insubordination, disruptive behavior and fighting. Ninety percent of the <br />referred students show signs of low self - esteem, and they lack adequate coping <br />skills. Most students referred for fighting feel that physical confrontation is the best <br />way to solve problems. <br />Our goal along with the injury prevention project is to teach students <br />alternative ways fo solving problems. The Phillips faculty and staff feel that the <br />injury prevention project will reduce discipline referrals by 20 %, and referrals for <br />fighting by 5 %. The program will help students develop effective problem solving <br />skills. They will be able to use the negotiating skills at school and in their <br />community. <br />The program at Phillips will be designed so that selected students will meet <br />with and be trained by the Youth Coordinator of the Dispute Settlement Center. <br />Regular meetings will be established and serve as a time for training and to review <br />progress. The teachers will support the program by giving time to the Youth <br />Coordinator to speak to classes. Teachers will also provide students with released <br />time from class to participate in peer mediation training. The faculty and <br />administrative staff will encourage students to use their negotiation and mediation <br />skills. <br />