Kelso's Choice Program reflects a proven way to:

• Empower young people with the ability to determine their own behavior.  Statements such as "he made me do it!" and "She did it first!" become obsolete as students become accountable for their own choices.
• Reduce tattling through a proactive, preventative approach that keeps small problems from escalating and prevents negative attention-getting mechanisms from occurring.
• Standardize expectations of student behavior and provide consistency in rules and discipline on a school-wide basis.
• Provide a cognitive structure for discriminating between "small" problems students can resolve and "big" problems that require adult intervention.
• Increase feelings of self-esteem and personal competence as students successfully resolve conflicts in their own lives.
• Develop an important linkage between home and school as the Kelso's Choice program is shared with parents in the home.
• Give students an important conflict resolution tool they can use when adults are not available or readily accessible.  These situations might include riding bikes around the neighborhood, waiting at a bus stop, or playing a game in the far corner of a school playground.

 COPY OF KELSO'S WHEEL OF CHOICES

So rather than trying to suggest ways students can solve their problems, we ask staff and parents to ask, “Have you tried 2 of Kelso’s Choices?”  This way, students are empowered to solve their own problems and also learn when it’s appropriate to ask an adult for help.  We find that by teaching students the skills needed to resolve their own problems, they are empowered for LIFE with valuable tools they’ll need in school, on a job, or in a family.  We hope you find it useful to your family as well.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact your counselor. If you have any feedback about how this program has worked for you at home please let us know! 

Program Philosophy

"Each child is seen as smart enough and strong enough to resolve conflict. Kelso’s Choice assumes that ALL children are capable of becoming peacemakers."