CODE OF CONDUCT
Character Always
Welcome to the Character Always section of the Merrickville Public School website. At Merrickville PS we believe that everyone counts and that we all add value to our school community. We are an inclusive school that believes that everyone makes a difference.
Thank you for taking the time to explore the Character Always section of our school website. Each month a different homeroom enjoys the responsibility of creating a positive message about living a life of Good Character.
WITS
Walk Away
Ignore
Talk It Out
Seek Help
The WITS program brings together, schools, families and communities to help children deal with conflict. The WITS acronym stands for Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out and Seek help and represents strategies children can use when faced with conflict.
WITS also provides a common language for adults both in school and in the community enabling them to communicate positively and proactively about social interactions and to respond effectively to a child's requests for help.
You can help your child by using the WITS program at home there are four steps for solving sibling or peer conflicts.
1) Ask what the conflict is about
2) Ask the children which of their WITS they could use to solve the problem. They may need to try all of their WITS strategies to find a resolution.
3) As what they think might happen if they used their WITS.
4) Talk about why WITS is a better choice than arguing.
When parents help children process strategies to deal with conflicts they:
*Empower their children to stand up for themselves
*Show they are available to help solve problems
*Teach children the skills they need to solve problems before they escalate
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2024