Marshalltown, IA: Elem. schools changes 'seclusion rooms' into 'peace rooms'

Nov 24, 2018, Marshalltown (IA) Times-Republican: Anson Elementary showcase http://www.timesrepublican.com/news/todays-news/2018/11/anson-elementary-showcase/ Running a school building means adapting to new information and to students’ needs. That’s how Anson Elementary School Principal Ronnie Manis and his team have approached improving student attendance and wellbeing at his building. … Another recent change at Anson has been to convert former “seclusion rooms” for students experiencing behavioral challenges to “peace rooms.” The seclusion rooms were used to give students a place to calm down and talk to staff about how they feel and their behavior, and the peace rooms add comforting elements to the spaces. “It’s very simple things, but they are things that are calming. It is an area where a student can feel safe and feel comfortable and find a way to calm down,”Chyma said. The peace rooms are kept at low light and students can find items like weighted blankets, coloring pages, bean bag chairs, yoga mats, fidget toys and more. “There is a timer in there. The kids have a choice of setting the timer for 10 or 15 minutes, it gives the kid at least 15 minutes to calm down and get to a point where they’re able to discuss what happened,” Chyma said. …