Time for Intervention

This last week it has become completely normal for students to be saying completely inappropriate things to each other in my class. Yesterday reached a peak at which they crossed the line. It's one thing to mock each others names say that someone smells, call someone a vampire, or to say that someone is going to jump off a building, those are all bad enough (in varying degrees) and resulted in some rather interesting conversations and notes sent home afterwards, however, yesterday topped it all with two boys telling a girl of mine that she and another boy were going to go on a date and afterwards she was going to suck his ____. Even at home that would be appallingly mature in fourth grade, but in a culture where even saying that they were going on a date is the height of insult to her honor the later part of that phrase was far below the belt. Of course drastic action was taken, admin involved, parents contacted, etc...
This week it has become quite obvious that something about the classroom environment since winter break is not working. Talking to perpetrators about their choices, coming up with solutions and consequences, before break it worked like a charm. Now nothing seems to be working. So... today we are having an intervention.
Today my class is going to spend the day saying nice things about each other. It will start with their morning work where they will have to turn their brains on and think about who in their class is the most respectful, kind, studious, they will have to decide who is the best listener, best communicator, and best bully hero (someone who stands up for others who are being mistreated). Once they have decided what each person in the class is best at then they will have to tell each person in class what they like best about them. We will continue the theme throughout the day culminating with writing and signing new agreements about behavior, choices, and concsequences that, once signed, will be sent home for parents to view, sign, and return.
We may not get through much content today, but this has been a long time in coming and fingers crossed it just might help.