"Let Peace Begin With Me"

Teacher Amy began Friday's Day of Peace activities by reminding us about the hymn, Let There Be Peace on Earth, and particularly it's most important line: "Let peace begin with me."  These five words capture a life lesson that we strive to impart to our students throughout their time at West Chester Friends School.  In order to help make the world a more peaceful place, children can begin by creating peace within themselves, in their friendships, in their classrooms, in their school, and in their families.  Then they can put the skills and habits they've developed to good use as they venture out into the wider world.

Such was our focus on Friday afternoon.  Students were paired up and asked to create banners that expressed their desire for peace and how they can help to achieve it.  Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students were paired with their fourth and fifth grade Meeting Buddies.  Students in first, second, and third grade were randomly assigned as partners.  It was remarkable how well they settled into their work, even given the fact that so many were randomly assigned to work with students in other grades with whom they might not have chosen to work if given free choice.  They discussed, planned, and created their banners, remembering what T. Caroline had taught them earlier in the week about how to make your poster "pop."

The partners met up again at the end of the day to parade around the Quaker Block, with several students encouraging passing cars to "honk for peace" (which they did!).  Here is a video of students, teachers, and family members starting out on the parade to the sounds of T. John Scardina singing his rendition of Give Peace a Chance.

The afternoon ended in our traditional way -- with the entire school joined by many family members and some Hickman residents circled around the Peace Pole singing songs led by T. John.

Our recognition of the United Nations International Day of Peace is an annual event here at WCFS.  For a peek at past celebrations you may want to see my blog posts from 2009 and 2008.

I have included a few photos from the day here, but there are several more that are worth seeing, so I've also included a slideshow (here and on the blog sidebar).