In the previous blog, I wrote about Peace Team -- the first force and the second force. Well, the Third Force has just begun!  What is this about?  How was this "third force" created? Why does it matter?

It's all about being of service WITH others. Sometimes, the tendency in being of service is to do something "to" or "for." Both are wonderful ways of helping and very valuable. When we are of service "with" others, there is greater  unity and bonding with the other person or situation. We become more involved in what they are experiencing and there is opportunity to develop deeper compassion and empathy.

For several weeks, Mrs. Johnson (Art), all the fifth graders, and myself investigated the first and second forces of Peace Team and looked for various ways to be more in unity with others. Feelings and ideas were shared as concerns and questions surfaced. There were times of joy, frustration, excitement, eagerness, overwhelm, and anticipation. At times, it would have been easier to lay the schedule and duties out for the children, telling them that this is the way it was going to be. 

 Mrs. Johnson and I were facilitators, guiding and watching the process unfold.   As their voices were honored, our students felt safe enough to take the lead in sharing  their feelings, concerns, interests, and ideas. During our own collaboration, Mrs. Johnson and I often talked about the amount of patience and trust that is called for in using this approach, as we also examined our own beliefs, uncertainties, joys, and fears. 

The formation of Peace Team -- The Third Force -- has begun to take shape! The fifth graders are delighted in their new ways of being of service with others.  Here are the ideas for service that we've come up with so far.

* Lunch buddies with gr. 1/2 - sitting at the lunch table and getting to know the students.

* Preschool lunch helpers - help set up for lunch.

* Preschool nap helpers - help get children ready for nap.

* Tire swing timer.

* Grades 1/2 games/ activity organizer and leader.

Why does  this matter?  It matters because we all belong to our community, and building unity and deep relationships take time, patience, and compassion. Modeling for our children is an important way to do this.

Grades 3-4

The third and fourth graders continue to work on building a safe and caring community.  Getting to know oneself is a vital and important beginning for fostering relationships with others. We have been exploring different feelings and recognizing that feelings are an important part of who we are. While working in small groups using shells and other objects from nature, the children shared stories of what they they like, don't like, and things that they do well.

"I don't like at volleyball when I serve and I hit with my fingers instead of my palm."

"I don't like to clean up my desk."

"I don't like to wake up in the morning and go to school."

"I feel really happy when I score a goal in soccer."

"I feel happy when I get a new video game."

"I like when I hang out with my cat, Koko. He really makes me happy because he is so cute!"

"I am good at listening."  

"I am good at helping people."

"I'm really good at baseball."

These past few weeks have been focused on building community. We have been playing several games and participating in various activities to lay the foundation for our community to flourish. When members of a community feel safe and respected,  there is trust and freedom to be who we are.  After learning these games, we allowed time for reflecting on what we had learned, and then ventured a step further to discover how all these lessons connect to a bigger picture --  relating with our world.

If you've been reading Mrs. Hussey's blogs, you may recall her mentioning the process of "inquiry." The questioning and collaborating aspects of inquiry play an important part in character development. This questioning process supports and nurtures each child in their own emotional, social, and spiritual development. As questions arise, each child searches within for that which is already known, and then is gently guided in a rich learning environment, allowing awareness to expand and insight to blossom. The seeds for growing a compassionate community are sown as members are encouraged to voice deep questions and listen to one another, and learn the process of collaborating in big or small groups. 

Here are examples of individual reflections about the community building games that we played. Below each reflection is a response from a team member commenting on why this is important and why it matters to him/her.

"The Bean Bag game" --

(reflection) * You are trying to learn other people's names.

(connection) * I think  this is important because we get to know people better. It helps when you have to tell them something important then you can call them by their name instead of "hey you." It shows respect.

"Yes, No, So-So" game --

(reflection) * You can learn other people's opinion.

(connection) * I think this matters because you learn what people dislike or like. It is important because if you learn what they like and if you like the same thing, then you could become friends.

 "Who's the leader" game --

(reflection) * You learn to pay attention.

(connection) * I think this matters because you have to watch closely and pay attention. It is important because if you get used to something, things can change. You learn to change quickly. 

We had lots of fun playing these games and we also learned more about respecting each other, acknowledging other people's opinions, and adjusting to change. Why does it matter?  It matters because we all belong to our global community, and helping each other is what  a compassionate human being is all about.

In fifth grade, questioning and collaborating are also crucial aspects in developing Peace Team. The history of Peace Team was shared with the students.  Starting in 1994 at Epiphany School a handful of sixth grade students  initiated its formation because they wanted to help other students before the start of school each morning and also during recess. They designed their own T-shirt so others would know who to go to for help, and met before school started, once a week, for "breakfast meetings." As you may have guessed, lots of questions  popped up surrounding the origin (called the 1st force) and subsequent changes (called the 2nd force) of Peace Team.  Throughout all the changes, our focus has remained the same-- to be of service. The question before us now is, "What new ways (called the 3rd force) can you think of for Peace Team to be of service?"

We will share more on the "3rd force" next week.  

Have a great week, and "May the Force be with you!"

Nurturing and guiding our children in their own emotional development and spiritual growth is the emphasis of our Character Education program.  We help our students with making the transition from knowing what is good to sharing what is good. Some of the ways we do this include using puppets, playing games, journaling, doing art activities, and participating in service projects within our school and community.  

The focus for these first weeks of school include -       

*Helping children love and respect themselves (exploring feelings, strengths, talents).                              

*Exploring the question, "Who Am I?"   

*Working together to build our community (discovering similarities and differences)                     

* Being aware of God's love in our families and our environment.

 As part of our CE program, we also offer training in peer mediation for students in grades 3-5.  Conflict resolution, learning to solve conflicts peacefully, is taught in preschool - grade 5.  

Another aspect of our program is Peace Team which involves the fifth grade class.  Our year-long focus is on developing personal leadership and being of service.  The fifth graders take turns providing service at lunch recess by helping the younger students.

Please stop by the CE house, the one closest to the playground, for a visit.  We also have a "peace room" where students can come for quiet, reflective time during their lunch recess.

I look forward to meeting you, and learning and growing with your children this year.

Shirley Rivera * 441-3839 * srivera@midpac.edu

For the "Yes and No" game, questions were asked such as "Do you like chocolate ice cream?" We then walked to the part of the room that was labeled "yes" and "no." For those who were unsure, there was a section of the room labeled "sort of" or "so-so." I discovered that I wasn't the only one who was allergic to ice cream. "Oh no!" said one child with a surprised look when I told him that I couldn't eat ice cream.

In my last write-up, I mentioned the International Peace Poem Project that are students are participating in. I am very proud of the work they've done and would like to share their poems with you. These are from Gr. 5B.  Enjoy!

Peace is a rainbow

A beautiful site to see

I like to see it.

--Kawika

Peace is love,

Peace is friendship,

And peace is in me.

Peace lives on earth,

Peace is all around me.

But can't hurt me.

-- Marshall

Peace is love and care

Peace is a peaceful world

Peace is very kind.

-- Colby

Peace.

listen to the ocean.

Peace.

The wind blowing through your hair.

Peace. 

cannot be bought it only can

be made.

-- Chloe

Peace is useful, without peace the world

is nothing. We need peace. Everybody

needs peace to survive. Everybody

has peace.

-- Isaac

Some like to chatter

Some are just possibly shy

We're part of one world.

-- Kayla

The world is peaceful

Everything is calm today

More peace in the world.

-- Maris

Peace is in our lives

Peace is nature on the earth

Everyone needs peace.

-- Emma

Peace is in the world

Peace has everybody now

It means to be PEACE!

-- Jade

Peace is important

Peace is all around the world

I love peace a lot.

-- Sophia

Peace is in our world

Peace is very important

I  really like peace.

-- Madison

The ocean,

wind,

moon,

flowers,

harmony

nature

sunsets

sleep

  gardens

rain

stars

and happiness

Those are what peace means 

to me.

-- Shayna

Peace is happiness

Peace is a wonderful thing

 Let peace in our world.

-- Tommy

Peace belongs to me

Not me above all people

But to everyone.

-- Bryce

Peace is love and care,

Peace makes everyone happy,

Peace is family.

-- Dominic

Peace is beautiful

Peace is loving each other

That is what Peace is.

-- Isaiah

Soft and quiet voice, that awakens my

heart

Almost a feeling waiting to come out

a world filled with family care, a world of

hope and peace

Soon to be spread in the world where it

would be safe forever, a generation.

-- Jillian

Peace will stop the war

Peace is love, caring and friends

mostly it's nature.

-- Ichitaro

We played a game called "Who Am I Like?" which included a list of statements.  Some items on the list included--

Someone with a birthday in the same month as you.

Someone who has the same hobby as you.

Someone who uses the same brand of toothpaste as you.

Someone who enjoys reading the same kind of books as you do.

Someone who was born outside this state.

Someone who is your friend.

The children walked around in CE class and began searching for someone who had similarities with them. The excitement was high as they sought who they could connect with. At the end of the activity as we debriefed, the one comment that was heard most often was "I never knew 'so and so' was like me!"  The children discovered that to find out more about someone, we can ask questions to get to know them better. With our world at our finger tips, and technology linking communities so easily, it is  important to strengthen our interpersonal and intrapersonal skills by learning to communicate within ourselves and reach out to others peacefully and with respect.

The fifth graders are now into their third week as Peace Team. Mrs. Johnson and I did a comics activity with them to reflect on their experiences and feelings during these past three weeks. I was truly inspired and enlightened by what I learned from each one of their comics. The facial expressions, the dialogue, and the feelings expressed greeted me with a tremendous learning experience! Through their comics, I learned how they felt and what they were discovering about being of service with our school community. There were feelings of joy and excitement, as well as frustration, anger, loneliness, sadness. All these feelings are indeed part of being of service. Feelings of frustration, anger, loneliness, and sadness, often called the "shadow side of service," does exist but we sometimes ignore these feelings or feel uncomfortable talking about it for whatever reason. However, from this "shadow" we learn hope, faith, and love--as we continue to be of service even when we feel like we don't want to--feeling our hearts opening wider, and allowing compassion and empathy to develop.

This week we are setting goals for being of service and looking at developing three personal areas... our attitude, words, and actions. 

Shirley Rivera

CE/Counseling

"The raw elements are already there, waiting to be mined. Contemplative education is the chisel, the sander, the file that gives shape to the courage in your veins. Learn, as Gandhi said, how to 'become the change you wish to see in the world." -- Naropa