Rainbow DJ LabRas Tafari Inc. · Rainbow Beach Park, Chicago
Proposed:The Lab is not running yet. No class runs until every item on the launch checklist is complete.
Rainbow DJ Lab › Safety › Cool-Down Space

Cool-Down Space

The Rainbow DJ Lab's calm corner, which is always in view of an adult, never isolated, never locked, with time limits and a clear way back.

Status

These policies were adopted by the Ras Tafari Inc. board on October 17, 2026. The Lab is proposed. Where the space goes in the fieldhouse and on the lawn will be set after the site walk with park staff.

What it is

A calm corner in the same room (or the same lawn area) as the class. It might have a chair or cushion, a fidget, a water bottle spot and a small "how I feel" card. It is out of the speaker zone, so it's quieter (Hearing Safety).

It is a place to reset, not a punishment. Any child can ask to use it, any time, without being in trouble.

The rules

  1. Always in view of an adult. An adult can see the child the whole time, and the child can see the adults.
  2. Never isolation. It is never another room, a hallway, a closet, a bathroom or outside the program area.
  3. Never locked or blocked. Nothing closes the child in, and no one stands in the way.
  4. Never alone with one adult out of sight. If an adult sits with the child, it's in the open, where the other adult can see ("observable and interruptible").
  5. Water and the restroom are still allowed.
  6. The child doesn't lose their place. Their station spot and stamps are kept.

How it works

Step Who Action Timing
1 Child or adult Child asks for a break, or an adult offers or directs one (step 3 of the Discipline Ladder) Any time
2 Adult Says calmly where to go and that they can come back when ready. Notes the time At start
3 Adult Quick check-in from nearby: "Ready, or want a couple more minutes?" About 3 minutes
4 Child Returns when ready Usually within 5 minutes
5 Adult If not ready, sits nearby (in view) and talks it through, or offers a different job when they return By 10 minutes
6 Lead adult If the child still can't return, calls the parent After about 15 minutes, or sooner if the child is very upset

These are guides. A child who wants to come back after one minute can come back. A Little DJ's own grown-up stays with them.

Coming back

  • The child rejoins at their station in the next job rotation, with no lecture and no announcement.
  • If it was a step-3 break, the adult has a 30-second private chat: what happened, and one thing to try.
  • The next block is a fresh start.

What you'll be told

  • At pickup: if your child used the cool-down space because an adult directed them to, and why.
  • If they asked for it themselves: we'll mention it if it seems useful, without treating it as trouble.
  • A phone call: if your child couldn't return after about 15 minutes, or was very distressed.

Sources

  • Center on PBIS, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: https://www.pbis.org
  • SAMHSA, Trauma-Informed Approach: https://www.samhsa.gov
  • U.S. Center for SafeSport, Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies ("observable and interruptible"): https://uscenterforsafesport.org