Our Testimonials

Here is what our parents, students, and staff have to say about what makes our school special.
-LFCSA
CalCreative Alumni

“Still using my Cool Tools! Love those “exit shoes.”  -

7 Days Ago
-Parent

“We LOVE CalCreative! A fun and mindful school that thinks outside of the box! So much wonderful learning through art and being kind to one another. Elementary school grades TK-5th and Middle school grades 6th-8th!”

7 Days Ago
-Parent

“We’re beginning our 5th year here at CalCreative (formerly called LFCSA) My kid has learned so much about kindness and social justice and has developed wonderful reading habits and actually seems to like math? The way they teach is not one-size-fits-all. Highly recommend!”

7 Days Ago
-Parent

“It’s my 4 year old’s first year of school. Huge transition! The amount of growth we’ve seen in him from the time school started to now has been so incredible. In fact, as soon as he gets home, he does art for another 2-3 hours on his own.”

7 Days Ago

Why is Restorative Justice Important?

Restorative Justice is a philosophy and an approach to discipline that moves away from punishment toward restoring a sense of harmony and well-being for all those affected by a hurtful act. It provides families, schools, and communities a way to ensure accountability while at the same time breaking the cycle of retribution and violence. It is based on a view of resilience in children and youth and their capability to solve problems, as opposed to the youth themselves being the problems adults must fix. It focuses not on retribution but on reconnecting severed relationships and re-empowering individuals by holding them responsible. This approach acknowledges that, when a person does harm, it affects the persons they hurt, the community, and themselves. When using restorative measures, an attempt is made to repair the harm caused by one person to another and to the community so that everyone is moved toward healing.

A restorative approach in school requires students to think about themselves and how they deal with one another, and to work on developing healthy relationships and learning how to manage conflict. Implementing a restorative approach in a school can have a positive impact on students at school and at home.

When Restorative Justice practices are consistently applied within a school wide context, they improve school climate, promote community, and reduce student misconduct. They will also strengthen positive school culture and enhance pro-social relationships within the school community.

The following principles reflect the values and concepts for implementing Restorative Justice practices in the school setting:

1. Acknowledge that relationships are essential to building a successful school community.
2. Ensure equity of voice amongst all members of the community.  Everyone is valued, everyone is heard.
3. Sets high expectations while offering supports, emphasizing doing things “with,” not “to” or “for”.
4. Build systems that address student misconduct and harm in a way that strengthens relationships and focuses on the harm done rather than only rule-breaking.
5. Engage in collaborative problem solving.
6. Enhance responsibility and empowers change and growth in all members of the community.

What are Restorative Justice practices?

Restorative practices promote trust and respect in relationships, setting the foundation for teaching and learning. In addition, the practices provide meaningful opportunities for students to develop self-discipline and positive behavior in a caring and supportive environment.

Restorative Justice practices:

  • Build community
  • Celebrate accomplishments
  • Intervene in offending behavior
  • Transform conflict
  • Rebuild damaged relationships
  • Reintegrate students into the learning environment