Fayette Middle

School has had peer mediation for approximately 10 years. Peer mediation

is a school-wide program featuring students from sixth through eighth

grade that allows students to settle minor conflicts confidentially with

peer mediators from their grade.

Jo Ann Swafford,

a counselor at Fayette Middle School state that close to 60 students each

year will seek peer mediation and that the program has seen a success

rate of nearly 100 percent. Swafford was joined by Debbie Crisp, Phyllis

Hutsell and Denise Roth, all advisors to the peer mediation program, in

giving the peer mediation team some refresher training in their peer mediation

skills.

Sixth-grade

mediators at the school are Jennifer Johnson, Sammy Negron, Brooks Oldham,

Crystal Pigue, Walker Rogers and Chyna Williams. Seventh-grade mediators

are Rusty Bundrum, Imran Manji, Simone Marks, Paul Marmol, Maggie Palin,

Lauren Roberts and Taylor Ruby. Eighth-grade peer mediators are Matt Fralick,

Chizorom Izeogu, Cooper Latham, and Zac Williamson.

"We are

fortunate to have some feeder elementary schools who have trained a team

of fifth-grade peer mediators that we "inherit" each year,"

said Swafford. "We are off an running on the first day of school

if need be."

Peer mediation

is operated by the students themselves and referrals can come from teachers,

students, administrators or parents.