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By Rose Hooper
Fernandez
Wanda Fernandez, principal at Scotts Creek Elementary
School, was recognized by Mountain Mediation Services as Jackson
County's Peacemaker of the Year during a celebration dinner Aug.
26 at the Community Service Center.
Patty Grant with the Committee for Healing and Restoration at
Cherokee Hospital received the Peacemaker of the Year award for
the Qualla Boundary.
An award was also presented in memory of Steve Eller, who was
chairman of the Mountain Mediation Services board of directors
when he died unexpectedly last fall at the age of 47.
Fernandez
In presenting Fernandez's award, Vicki Greene, president of Mountain
Mediation Services board of directors, said Fernandez was selected
because of the peer mediation programs she initiated in Jackson
County, first as assistant principal at Smoky Mountain High School
and then as principal at Scotts Creek Elementary.
"While Dr. Fernandez is continually concerned about her students'
academic excellence, she is also concerned about their development
of life skills," said Greene.
Resolving conflicts are skills students can take with them to
the workplace or use in their everyday life with friends and family,
according to Fernandez.
"These skills are valuable to students all of their lives.
It is very empowering for them to use these strategies,"
said Fernandez, who began her education career at Blue Ridge Elementary
School.
Seventh- and eighth-graders at Scotts Creek trained as peer mediators
provided the audience with a demonstration of their skills during
the Peacemaker dinner.
It's easier for students to go to other teenagers, rather than
adults, the mediators told the audience, peer mediator Emily Geisler
said. When students have an altercation, they can go to peer mediation
to "sort things out" before it escalates into a full-blown
fight, she said.
Most of the cases involve girls, according to mediator Meghann
Hoxit, and most conflicts involve rumors. By the time something
gets told three or four times, it can get twisted around, said
the mediators, who have found that when you put the conflicting
students in a room face to face, "the truth seems to come
out."
Mountain Mediation Services provided the training for peer mediators
who have learned to keep control of a situation, remain neutral,
not take sides, and, above all, listen, rather than give suggestions.
In addition to teaching students life-long skills in resolving
conflicts, peer mediation in the schools saves teachers' time
and makes the learning environment more productive, said Fernandez.
"It gives the teachers another option to constantly having
to deal with conflict. It's students mediating students rather
than students going to the principal's office," she said.
After one year at SMHS, Fernandez was named principal of Scotts
Creek Elementary School, where she is now in her fourth year.
She received her undergraduate degree from Florida Southern and
her master's degree and Ed.D. from Western Carolina University.
She spent seven years at Jonathan Valley Elementary School, where
she was recognized as Teacher of the Year in Haywood County.
Greene told how Fernandez's conflict-resolving initiatives have
spread throughout Jackson County.
"When Karen Clark left Scotts Creek to become Cullowhee Valley's
school guidance counselor, she took the peer mediation program
with her," said Greene.
"Dr. Fernandez' husband, Robert, has also taken mediation
training through Mountain Mediation Services," said Greene.
"He finds these skills valuable across the county as he serves
congregations at Moses Creek Baptist Church and El Centro del
Senor, an outreach to the Latino community."
Grant
Grant was honored for her ongoing efforts to heal the historical
grief and trauma experienced by the Eastern Band of Cherokee.
A diabetes educator, Grant believes that grief and trauma experienced
through generations contributes to current health problems. She
helped form Cherokee Indian Helpers, whose purpose is to resolve
physical, emotional, spiritual and mental conflict.
Eller
Eller was an active volunteer and board member with Mountain Mediation
Services long before he became its chairman.
"Steve was a peacemaker in all aspects of his life and work,"
said Greene. "He had a calming influence. Something I saw
him do in mediation was to legitimize differences of opinion,
give people the opportunity to recognize that things can be looked
at differently."
Mountain Mediation Services covers Haywood, Macon, Swain, Graham,
Cherokee, and Clay counties and the Qualla Boundary. For more
information, call 1-800-789-4675.
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