The third and fourth graders have just completed nine sessions of peer mediation training. During the training, we explored these topics - what are conflicts, how anger affects our body, what are anger triggers, the anger mountain (what happens when you keep the anger in), restating what someone has said and reflecting on their feelings, and using "I statements." During role play, we practiced our skills as peer mediators and helped those who were having a disagreement to find solutions. I am excited that so many of our children have signed up to help as peer mediators during their lunch recess!
The children also shared reflections of their training and what they felt was important to remember about peer mediation.
"I think it is important to remember to stay calm because if you are not calm, then you can get the other people really mad and angry."
"I think peer mediation can help our school by making people happy again."
"I think it is important to remember to help people and to keep doing community service. If you don't help people and don't do community service, you would not be known as a good person or a helpful person. You should remember that everyone counts to make a community."
"It is important to remember that peer mediation can keep people happy and friendly, and not angry."
"I think peer mediation helps the school by having less problems."
"Peer mediation helps by solving problems. This matters because without peace it would be horrible. It would be chaos."
"I think peer mediation could help our community by solving problems so the world could be a better place."
Please ask your third or fourth grader about their peer mediation training and to also help them practice their skills at home. If you would like to know more about our peer mediation program, please call or email me. I'd be more than happy to share about our program.
Shirley Rivera
CE/Counseling
Last week, we presented the poems from grade 5H. This week we would like to share the peace poems from grade 5B. As you read these poems, try to think of what peace means to you -- a smile, a hug, feeling safe, seeing your child happy, sitting by the ocean, a loving family, and so much more. How does peace start? Where can you find it? Why do we have to have a war to get peace? These were some of the questions raised by the fifth graders while exploring the idea of peace.
Peace is love
Peace is happiness
Peace is what makes the world go around.
(James)
Peace is love, like the heavens above.
Peace is happy, it's not scrappy.
War is uncool, it's only for fools.
Peace will come when the warfare is done.
(Travis M.)
My way of peace is...
My way of peace helps me...
Nature is my peace.
(Rocky)
Peace is like the feel of freedom
But sometimes freedom can be strong
Just feel the freedom in the right way
You might be lucky, peace will accumulate.
(Hooper)
Peace is heaven on earth.
It's wonderful to feel.
Relaxing to experience.
It's the thing some part of everybody wants.
Peace is the thing everyone has an opinion on.
It can start a war.
(Bridget)
Life
The cool breeze in the air
With the wind blowing
and people willing to share.
I look up with my eyes
with happiness
and a big surprise.
Sometimes life can be hard
and sometimes it can be easy
But at times, you just want to write a card
When it's very nice and breezy.
For once in life, I wish for something
A good life is what I want
Everything I got was better than nothing
And a good life means everything.
(Evonne)
Peace, Peace, Peace
For the love of good peace
Peace, Peace, Peace
I'm so happy that peace is part of our world.
Peace is nature
Peace is love
There is peace everywhere
When the people will love.
(Kourtney)
Peace is
Waves crashing upon the shore
Love in the air
Birds chirping
Happiness
Friendship
And life.
War is
Guns shooting
Yelling
Hitting
People getting killed
and disliking
Peace wins the war.
(Zoe)
Peace has a lot of meanings
Like happiness, helpful, loving, etc.
But the true meaning of peace,
is happiness. You're surrounded by happiness.
Like we are surrounded by the ocean.
We are also surrounded by family,
To make us feel good and happy.
Without family, there would be war.
So then there's war at every corner being curled.
And we don't want that, we want peace in the world.
(Ethan)
Peace, love, art, and war
That spreads around the world
Let peace begin.
(Kelly)
Peace... is the Sea
Peace is... like the sea,
It is full of living creatures,
With lots of happiness.
And sometimes sadness.
It is full of adventures and mysteries.
Peace is like the ocean.
It is wide and free
Peace is the sea.
Peace is the sea.
(Erena)
The Sky and Night
Blue everlasting sky, connecting everyone
With your color,
White clouds float on the breeze that surrounds you,
Friends with the night,
You show peace with your colors,
and friendship with the sun.
You connect friends
everywhere.
When they move far away, you're the peacemaker.
(Nicole K.)
Peace
When you look into
the world, you see different things
good and bad,
happiness and love,
different feelings.
(Sydnee)
Peace and War
Peace is nice
When peace is going on
People are helping and caring
Not like war
War is fighting
hitting, shooting, and killing.
(Nicolette)
Peace is awesome,
Peace is good,
I love Peace.
Peace is everywhere
around me. But it's not
always inside of me.
I've seen movies with
blood, weapons, and beating.
That is not peace.
Through my eyes I see
Friendship, Laughter and Happiness.
That is Peace.
(Roger)
Peace Be With You
Peace is love
not war.
Peace be with you.
Don't say more.
Be love and caring
don't be hateful like some
Peace is love
not war.
(Cynthia)
Peace is my Jewish family going back
to Europe, the place my grandpa
fled over 60 years ago.
Peace is lighting the sabbath
candles with their soft warm
glow.
(Celia)
To me, peace is nature.
Peace is similar to nature by
The clouds that drift by
Or the ocean currents dragging by.
To some people they think that peace
Cannot be made.
But it's just that they're not trying.
If you try, you can actually make peace.
That is peace to me.
Nature.
(Marc)
Peace is a meadow, under water
A quiet place.
Somewhere where you are not afraid.
Knowing that at least someone loves you.
When there is freedom
That you can look up at the sky and smile.
You want to say "Thank you."
(Cameryn)
Peace can start wars,
Peace can end them
Peace is an interesting thing.
Peace means a very special thing
Peace is the opposite of destruction
Peace is the opposite of death.
Peace can help people
Peace can be denied
Peace can help the world.
Peace helps us all...
(Ka`imi)
During these past few weeks, the fifth graders have been exploring the idea of peace and what it means to them personally. Ideas for peace were presented in various ways -- through art, historical artifacts and history, personal stories, and stories from literature. After weeks of exploring, listening, discovering, and experiencing peace, the fifth graders wrote their own peace poems to reflect what peace means to them. Their peace poems were then submitted to the "International Peace Poem Project" with headquarters on Maui. Later this year, our students' peace poems will be added to the other 70,000 peace poems from around the world. You can view these poems at www.peacepoem.org.
We hope you enjoy reading these poems from grade 5H. The peace poems for grade 5B will be posted next week.
Peace is like sharing
Peace is in the whole wide world.
Peace is very good.
(Travis H.)
Peace is love, joy, and happiness among all people
Peace means no war among all people
Peace is what we need in this world.
(Marissa)
Peace is life
The world is peace
There is no lease for peace
Peace is everywhere
Peace can't be beat.
(Jonathan)
Peace is in all of us,
It keeps us all together.
And because of peace
The world keeps going around.
(Alexis)
Peace, war, day or night
What's the difference in this sight
How might this end and who will win
Will they have any sin?
Make peace. Make peace.
Peace lies in your heart
You can either help or hurt
Which one will you choose?
(Caitlin)
Peace is joy
Peace is happiness
Peace is love.
Peace is what the world should have
Peace is beauty
Peace is Peace
Anger can release peace
But peace has more power
You have to control it
So it will thrive.
(Kendall)
Peace flows in our hearts and minds.
Peace flows in the air all around us.
Peace can be easily destroyed
By war, poverty, and terrorism.
But...peace can be easily
Repaired by love and care.
(Carmen)
Peace is within us
Inside our heart, mind, and soul
We all want world peace.
(Sydney T.)
Nature and Peace
Land: The wind in my ears
Whispering words of peace.
Flowers swaying, showing deep affection.
Water: Waves in motion painting beautiful pictures
Creatures of the sea spreading
Joy across the sea floor.
Sky: Puffy white clouds giving graceful dreams to the little ones.
Blue skies stretch beyond my imagination.
This is the tale of Natural Peace.
(Nicole L.)
Peace, Peace, Peace
Peace is happiness and romance
Because it's from your heart.
I am peacefully graceful.
(Gabby)
Peace means happiness
Filled with love, joy, and freedom
Peace comes from the heart.
(Hailey)
Peace shant be denied
Evil shant be abide
Peace be with you.
(Malcolm)
Peace is love and joy
Brings joy to lots of people
Peace is everywhere.
(Kara)
Peace is being nice
Being happy and friendly
Peace is about love.
(Coco)
If earth had more peace
The wars would end and cease.
Peace equals greatness.
(Cole)
Peace is really good.
Peace is the answer not war.
Peace makes me happy.
(Nate)
Fish relate to peace
Peace is fish, fish is nature
Don't ever kill fish.
(Tyler)
Friends, love, happiness
Being nice, and helping out,
That is what peace is.
(Kelcie)
Peace shall be done in the world
No fights should be fought
Laughter and happiness should be done.
(Devin)
Peace
Everyone is happy
Around each other
Caring
Enormous amounts of love
(Luke)
Character Education is an integral part of our elementary school curriculum. It is more than just a program that is offered at Mid-Pacific Institute. I often see it as "food for the soul" and a way of providing a "complete" education for our children. Acknowledging that a child is more than a body and a mind, CE recognizes the soul and spirit also, and provides nourishment for strengthening that aspect of a child's being.
The fifth graders were asked the question, "What have you learned that you think is important to remember about CE? Why does it matter?" Here are some of their responses-
"I learned that all people pass away, even loved ones. And once it happens you're sad and depressed. There always will be a hole. It matters because my great grandma passed away. We can talk about this in CE." S.R.
"I learned that you have to treat others the way you would like to be treated. It matters because you should treat people nice. Would you like to be bullied?" R.C.
"I learned that a little argument can cause a big war. It matters because it reminds you not to fight over small things." R.N.
"Happiness. It matters because it brings peace." J.C.
"I learned that you shouldn't judge people. It matters because if you do, people won't like you that much." C.O.
"I learned that you need to be responsible. It matters because you shouldn't let someone else do it for you." K.C.
"I learned that when you take responsibility and give up your recess to do your job for Peace Team, you are growing older and you are helping your community. It matters to me because when I do something that is very helpful, I'm growing up and learning more." E.C.
"I learned that you cannot ask God to win something, or have the opponent do bad. You should ask him for you to do your best. It matters because you should never expect things to come to you. You should work to make it happen." N.L.
"Helping others is always a better thing to do. Doing Peace Team helps to show people what you should do. It matters because it helps our community to be a better place." D.E.
"I think prayer is important because you can let your feelings out. It matters because it is not good to keep feelings in." M.K.
"I learned that UNICEF helps kids in other places that don't have resources. It matters because all kids need help." A.O.
"I learned that writing someone a card or even a thank you card is important to remember. It matters because you are doing an act of kindness to someone and it makes them feel good inside." H.S.
"I have learned that being kind and generous to others is important. It matters because it makes people feel good and it can make their day, knowing that someone cares." C.P.
"I learned that fighting with others gets you nowhere. It matters because you get more hurt emotionally and physically than you need to." K.Y.
"I learned that when you're nice to a person, then that person will be nice to you. It matters because you don't want to be the mean person and everybody hating you." M.N.
"I learned how to do Peace Team and being of service. It matters because in the beginning, I was clueless about being of service." C.S.
Lessons such as what these fifth graders have shared are priceless. These lessons help our children grow as caring and civilized human beings who respect themselves, each other and our world.
