The mission of Vargas Elementary School, in partnership with students, parents, families, and our diverse community, is to empower every student to become a lifelong learner and a successful member of our global community by providing experiences, which ensure a strong academic program and a safe, nurturing environment that fosters physical and social well being.

PeaceBuilders: Peacebuilders is a new program at Vargas this year. Each Monday Morning we affirm our commitment to peace by saying the peacebuilding promise and singing the peacebuilding song. These peacebuilding activities help children understand that their efforts make a difference to people around them every day. Students learn the basic rules of Vargas through the promise and song. In this way we instill in our students the importance of a safe and peaceful learning environment for all.

I am a PeaceBuilder, I promise:
To praise people, to give up put-downs,
to seek wise people as advisors and friends.
To notice and speak up about hurts I have caused,
and to right wrongs. I promise to build peace at home,
at school and in my community each day.

Peace Song
Peaceful hands, peaceful feet
Peaceful kids walk down the street
With a please and a thank-you
Peace is really cool
Vargas is a peaceful school

Peaceful hands, peaceful feet
Vargas kids walk down the street
We will praise and seek wise people everyday
PeaceBuilders in every way

Peaceful hands, peaceful feet
You'll hear no put-downs on our streets
We will notice hurts and right our wrongs
Join us in our peaceful song

Peace Council: Our student council decided to change their names to "Peace Council" this year in step with our new peacebuilding program. They have worked very hard in bringing about positive change to Vargas this year. They have taken several proposals to Dr. Bonilla to ensure peace and harmony at Vargas.  They were instrumental at bringing back touch football, enforcing a peaceful lunch, and holding an art contest so that they could decorate our new ball wall with a peace mural. These hard working 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders meet once a week on their lunch hour to discuss other ways to keep the peace at Vargas.

Conflict Managers:From our peacebuilding model we have decided to empower a team of 32 students to become conflict managers during class, lunch, and recess. These students work in teams of two on the playground helping other students solve their conflicts in a calm and peaceful way. They are excellent role models and spend a full day in training to become a conflict manager. When you visit Vargas look for the students wearing yellow vests and carrying clipboards, these are our conflict managers on duty.

• Conflict is an inherent part of life, and it is neither good nor bad.
  


• Effective alternatives to suspension and expulsion are needed to respond to conflict on school campuses.
  


• Positive expression and resolution of conflict are learned behaviors.
  


• Each individual is responsible for the consequences of his/her decisions and actions.

Implementation of conflict management can reduce violence, vandalism, chronic absenteeism, and suspensions.