Peace Week 2018: "Peacemakers and Problem-Solvers"

“We pray that someday an arrow will be broken, not in something or someone, but by each of humankind to indicate peace, not violence. Someday fearlessness to love and make a difference will be experienced by all people. Then the eagle will carry our prayer for peace and love, and the people of the red, white, yellow, brown, and black communities can sit in the same circle together to communicate in love and experience the presence of the Great Mystery in their midst. Someday can be today for you and me. Amen.”
-Adapted from a Prayer of the Chippewa

Each January, Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences celebrates Peace Week with lessons and activities that honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while also exploring the broader concept of peace that inspired and guided him. This year’s Peace Week theme “Peacemakers and Problem-Solvers” challenged students to not just celebrate Dr. King’s words and work, but to contemplate the skills he and other peacemakers and problem-solvers used that each of us can emulate.
Throughout the week in classrooms and advisory sessions, teachers led discussions about skills, tools, and models for achieving peace, including active listening skills, self-reflection, and conflict resolution. Classes created various projects, presentations, and works of art to symbolize the concept of peace. The week’s work was showcased at a school-wide assembly on Friday.
After Barnesville’s traditional “March for Peace” into the gymnasium, Middle School Social Studies Teacher Mr. Hart opened the assembly with the question: “Are you a peacemaker? Are you a problem-solver?”
Third and fourth grade students took turns reading individual accounts recalling examples of segregation in America. The stories of discrimination were contrasted by famous quotes from Dr. King from throughout the Civil Rights Movement. The presentation concluded with the reminder to listen to his Dream, and to “Let Freedom Ring!”
Seventh graders presented posters they had made with various symbols and slogans representing peace. Eighth graders and their Preschool buddies presented a peace wreath they made together by tracing their hands and cutting and pasting them to a giant peace sign. The hand cutouts were decorated with symbols and messages of peace, such as “friends, respect, equality.”
Inspired by The Kindness Rocks Project, third and fourth graders showed hand-painted #KindnessRocks they will spread around campus. They explained that they are messages of hope and kindness intended to “help you feel better,” and that after you’ve looked at it, rocks should be put back in place so other students can find them.
Sixth and eighth grade social studies classes have been researching winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, with eighth grade focusing specifically on women who have earned the honor. Students shared brief reports on famous peacemakers, and additional reports will be shared at Morning Meetings next week. Famous peacemakers discussed included: Elie Wiesel, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Nelson Mandela, Frederik Willem de Klerk, Li Xiaobo, and Mother Teresa.
Fifth, sixth and seventh graders sang “What a Wonderful World,” made famous by Louis Armstrong. Preschool sang “Candle for Peace,” a song they are learning to sing in American Sign Language as well. First and second graders have been learning “Shalom” which they will share at Morning Meeting next week.
The Assembly concluded with a candle-lighting ceremony, with one or two students from each grade lighting a candle. Mrs. Johnson then asked everyone to pause for a moment of silence to reflect on peacemaking and kindness.
Peace Week activities and traditions are an important part of Barnesville's Character Education program. A photo album of the Assembly can be viewed on Facebook.
Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences is an independent private school in Montgomery County, Maryland offering innovative preschool through 8th grade programs. Cross-curricular teaching encourages students to explore how subjects relate to one another, helping them to make connections that spark inquiry and deepen understanding. Small classes enable skilled teachers to engage each child in an academically challenging environment.