Restorative Practices (RP) is gaining traction as an alternative framework to school-based exclusionary and punitive discipline and a promising model to promote school climate. However, limited research has focused on implementation of RP in elementary schools, highlighting the experiences of classroom teachers and students. This case study describes the experiences and perceptions of school staff and students participating in RP community building circles during the first year of school-wide RP implementation. During spring, 2018, a bounded single mixed method case study was conducted in a diverse urban elementary school located in the northeast United States to examine structural and procedural facets of early RP implementation. This specific study will report on findings and results from: 1) beginning and end of year surveys of school staff perspectives and experiences with implementing RP, 2) semi-structured interviews conducted with 17 school staff, and 3) surveys of 3-5th (N =107) grade students regarding their experiences participating in RP classroom circles. Across all data sources and stakeholder groups, the connection between community building circles and social emotional growth and learning was evident and well-articulated. Additionally, students and school staff highlighted challenges in circle participation, equitable circle accessibility for all students, and tensions between RP and school discipline ethos. The promise of RP to further structure and support the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and focus of the elementary school may only be realized if RP implementation is designed as a school-wide system to promote social development for both students and the adults who serve them.