By Lorna Reese

Special to the Weekly

There’s a newly outfitted cozy playroom at the Lopez Elementary School this fall, home to a nationally acclaimed project developed to help primary grade children make the most of their school experience. PIP, familiar to parents and teachers throughout San Juan County from its earlier local success, is the acronym for the long-standing Primary Intervention Program developed at the University of Rochester, New York.

Once a week grade kindergarten through third children participating in the school based program come to the imaginatively stocked play room with a specially trained caring adult to engage in one-on-one sessions of child-led play.

“Awesome,” was one first grader’s reaction to the abundance of figures, sand-play trays, miniature planes, cars, people and animals, art and dress-up supplies, and much more.

“Kids can express what they experience through play when they don’t have words,” says Carol Weiss who is co-ordinating the program with Jeanna Carter, school counselor. A licensed marriage and family therapist with 40 years of experience, Carol is especially interested in young children and their families, and has been consulting to PIP programs in the islands for 20 years.

“Some children need additional individual attention,” says Lopez Principal Lisa Shelby, “and PIP will help us detect and prevent school adjustment difficulties. It will help children learn to manage and understand their behaviors and emotions as well as promoting positive social interactions. Then they can better focus on academic achievement.”

Carol adds, “Grades K-3 provide the foundation for kids’ academic and social learning. In PIP children feel seen and valued just as they are, which increases self-esteem. Non directive play is children’s language, their best form of communication.”

Jeanna and Carol lead a crew of PIP-trained adult volunteers, designated under this program as Child Associates. All have experience working with children and create an atmosphere of non-judgmental acceptance in which children thrive. Leslie Quenell is a retired inner city elementary school teacher with specialized training working with at risk students. Micki Ryan is a grandmother of six and former volunteer in primary programs in California. Ellin Evans is a retired Washington State educator with 30 years experience as an elementary school teacher and administrator. David Bill, a long-time Lopez resident and father of two daughters, was a volunteer in a previous PIP program for Lopez Elementary. Sasheem Silkiss-Hero is a licensed marriage and family therapist associate with extensive training in child-led play and sandplay, who attended Lopez schools as a youngster.

Child-led play and the development of the child’s confidence in decision making are key PIP principles. The Child Associate supports the child in his or her choice of activities and through the play encourages the child to become more self directed, self assured, and competent in solving problems as they arise in the play.

“I rejoined the program as a volunteer because I believe the non-directive play has profound implications for all involved,” says David of his interest in returning to the program; “both the kids which the program is ostensibly for and the adults who get a fantastic training in the non-directive play that is so unusual in today’s world.” Leslie adds, “I love to work with children, and in doing so provide some part of the support they need to become happy, caring, productive members of the community.”

“If we want children to be successful in the academic classroom, we have to attend to all of their needs,” Shelby continued. “We’re lucky our school is small enough that we can know our children well, and we’re proud to be able to offer PIP as one more support for educating the whole child. We want to help them be as successful as possible in the school community.”

PIP is funded by a San Juan County Community Mental Health grant and all children in grades K-3, including those home-schooled, are eligible to participate. Referrals to the program come from primary grade teachers and parents, who seek assistance for a child struggling with common life changes that interfere with academic achievement. For more information about PIP, or to inquire about referring a child or becoming an adult volunteer, please contact Program Coordinators Carol Weiss at 468-3571 (carolweissmft@gmail.com) or Jeanna Carter at 468-2219, extension 2214 (jcarter@lopez.k12.wa.us).

Carol Weiss and Micki Ryan contributed to this article