May Peace Prevail On Earth News

July 2010

City of Montessori School (CMS) in Lucknow, India is the largest school in terms of pupils, which had a record enrollment of 32, 114 pupils on February 5th, 2008 for the 2007-2008 academic year.

CMS was awarded with the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education in 2002, the first school in the world to be so honored in recognition of its efforts” to promote the universal values of education for peace and tolerance at a time when these values are increasingly being challenged.

CMS conducts a World Peace Flag Ceremony every few months as part of their many ongoing programs.
May Peace Prevail In India!
May Peace Prevail On Earth!
Mr. Gandhi is a WPPS Peace Representative and President of the City Montessori School, Lucknow, India

May, 2010

Dear Friends,
Escuela Lomas Altas is an International Baccalaureate primary school in Mexico City. The school curriculum is based on the Primary Years Program of the IB Program. At the end of the school year, the 6th grade students present a final exhibition of the PYP Program. The exhibition is based on a theme that the students choose regarding any subject that affects the world and humankind. They have to inquire, analyze and present it to the entire school community at the end of May. It is a big celebration.

This year’s 6th grade exhibition was based on “Humankind creates tools and strategies to make peaceful coexistence possible in a diverse society.” The 6th grade was divided in groups and the head teachers were responsible for guiding and planning the Exhibition. One of the 6th grade groups this year investigated on Organizations that Promote Peace Around the World, that had to do with the central idea. During their inquiry on this subject, the students found out about the Peace Poles Project which led them to make their own Peace Pole and present it on the day of the exhibition.

It was a great success!! All of the school community, parents, students and teachers, wrote phrases on it regarding Peace in the World.

We are sending the picture of the Escuela Lomas Altas Peace Pole.

Have a wonderful day,
Rosalinda Lopez
Special Spanish Teacher
6th. Grade Mentor for the PYP Exhibition
Escuela Lomas Altas
www.lomasaltas.com.mx

March-2010

Gail Ostrow, Elementary School Teacher at Black Rock School in Bridgeport, Connecticut and WPPS Peace Representative took her students to visit the United Nations. They unfurled the May Peace Prevail On Earth banner there in the hallway.

Gail became a Peace Representative this spring. She has been actively planting Peace Poles in the Bridgeport area since 2005.

2008 Saint Ann's School, Bridgeport, Ct - Gail Ostrow standing by the Peace Pole

2007 Black Rock School, Bridgeport, Ct

2009 Black Rock Library

June 23rd, 2010

Brielle Williams was the recipient of the 2010 Peace Award at the Webutuck High School Awards Ceremony.

Jim Dugan, Peace Pole maker at The World Peace Sanctuary was asked to present the Award by Mr. John Rocconova, who teaches the Technology Class at WHS.

The award was a 17″ desktop Peace Pole handcrafted by students in Mr. Rocconova’s class.

DATE: 9/27/2010

MGCCC- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Community Campus
10298 Express Dr.
Gulfport, MS 39503

June 23rd, 2010

JFMF and another teacher, Masahisa Goi, provided the inspiration that eventually leads students to design and construct a garden with a Peace Pole for a middle school in a small town with a population of about 2500. “Peace Paradise” will be a long-term project to be visited each year in the study of mathematics, science, global connections, and PEACE.

The Journey
A new school year always includes lessons on origami and the making of a peace crane. This year I also included a lesson on the Peace Poles that exist all over the world starting with the first one I saw at the Oya Stone Museum while traveling with the JFMF group. I had students design their own on paper. That was in September of 2009.

Two students, Shelby and Antartes who named their firm “Luxurious Landscaping” and their garden design, “Peace Paradise” were the overwhelming winners. In their design was a Peace Pole with the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in English, Japanese, Spanish and Russian to reflect the diversity of our school. Frankly, I was surprised that these seventh graders remembered that lesson but I was delighted as well.

During the design process one of my students, Daniel, approached me about the possibility of doing the construction as part of his Eagle Scout Project. I agreed with the stipulation that a detailed plan was required.

Next year, students will hear about the world’s Peace Poles and I hope they take pride in seeing one right outside their classroom window. Read the complete story on this blog entry:

http://web.me.com/jorobert/JFMF_Damashii/Blog/Entries/2010/6/23_Yes%2C_Students_Listen_and_Change_the_World.html

May 6th, 2010

600 students from three schools gathered at Susan E. Wagner High School on Staten Island on May 6, 2010 to observe the Gandhi King Chavez SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE in a program co-organized by the Temple of Understanding, the Association for Global New Thought, The World Peace Prayer Society and the United Religions Initiative.

Bob Silverstein

Keynote speaker Ibrahim Sharif of New Jersey’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission energized the theme: SPEAK OUT, UNITE, END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, and youth presenters from the IDEA program (Interfaith Dialogue, Education and Action) shared personal experiences about learning to respect one another. Parents Dina Tush and Bob Silverstein, who both lost daughters to violence at college, gave deeply moving talks to a hushed auditorium.

Susan Wagner-Kids' Presentation

George Anthony’s conflict resolution class provided a high point of the afternoon with messages, poetry, song and stories from their lives and countries about violence against women, all dedicated to the memory of young Jessica Tush and Emily Silverstein.

Flag Ceremony

The finale brought the United Nations to Susan E. Wagner High School with the World Peace Flag Ceremony, accompanied by the “May Peace Prevail on Earth” chant by the Trenton Children’s Chorus. The students raised the flags of all 192 countries, calling out each name and “May Peace Prevail On Earth” with joy and enthusiasm.

George Anthony with Kids and Flags

Following the Flag Ceremony, about 50 students filed outside for a very special dedication of Susan Wagner’s brand new Peace Pole. George Anthony introduced members of an interfaith group called Building Bridges, whose clergy from local Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, Jewish, and Catholic communities offered beautiful prayers for peace.

We Are The World at Peace Pole Dedication

Then the students sang, “We Are the World,” as everyone waved the flags of many nations and the Peace Pole was placed in the ground. It was a magnificent close to a deeply meaningful event – truly reflective of the spirit of nonviolence.

Susan E. Wagner High School Peace Pole

Here is the link to view excerpts of the program captured on video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLdAae0yqk

Deborah Moldow, WPPS
Representative at UN

May 11th, 2010

“Most of the credit goes to the students from my “Outdoor Club” for planting the Peace Pole, flowers and plants, in the school campus garden, although some students from other groups helped.
The Peace Pole Project and Peace Pole planting was announced and explained to the entire student body and staff.”

All the best.

May Peace Prevail On Earth!
Laura

**Laura Votipka is a teacher at the Wiesbaden Middle School , grades 6th – 8th. It is the Department of US Defense Dependents School located in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Photograph taken: April 11th, 2010

This cedar Peace Pole  is one of the many architectural details on the 85 acres that makes up the Rose Hill campus, at Fordham University.  The Peace Pole is located in center of the garden where thousands of faculty, staff and students traverse its leafy pathways each day.

A 4-sided Peace Pole planted in a tree cross section, located in the Library Link, which can be found on the first floor between the the Library and Lewis Hall on the campus.

November 14, 2009