"The Right to Peace" - Link Students Celebrate the 37th year of International Day of Peace
“The Right to Peace” as told by the students at Link IB World School
“A peaceful society is one where there is justice and equality for everyone. Peace will enable a sustainable environment to take shape and a sustainable environment will help promote peace.”
- United Nations
It was a cloudy but clear Friday morning in September at Link IB World School. Students from Kindergarten through fifth grade, along with their teachers, gathered in the Children’s Peace Garden to celebrate the 37th year of the International Day of Peace.
Taken place on September 21st, Link IB World School participates in this celebration every year to spread words of peace around the world. IB-PYP Coordinator Danielle Jackson organized this event, with music provided by Music Teacher/Director Cindy Kimmel. Link students opened the celebration by signing “I’ve Got Peace like a River,” an African-American spiritual arranged by the Cedarmont Kids. Together with the community, students and staff followed with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and the Pledge for Peace. Special guests in attendance were introduced including our Superintendent, Martin Cox, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Susan Yom, Board of Education President, Tammy Bierker, Board of Education Member Walter Litvak and from the Office of George Hoehmann, Lauren Daly.
Link’s Student Council members read the origins of International Day of Peace and how students use peaceful actions in school. Their words brought a welcoming feeling to the celebration, encouraging all around to focus on peace. Student representatives from all grades shared their words of peace or peaceful actions completed by historical figures. Using a dove as their guide, one of our third graders reminds us to “be thankful for the things you get and have today!” Being in a world school, our first and second graders wants us to remember “Peaceful, Empathy, Always be kind, Creative, Extra caring to all. Our fifth graders focused on historical leaders who promoted peace to achieve success in their lives. Much of what they wrote showed the positive affect their actions had on their lives today.
We are a World School and in such we participate and celebrate in this day every year. Our hope is the continuity of spreading our words and thoughts of peace around the world. We hope that the celebration taught our community different ways to spread their own thoughts and words for peace. Our Superintendent Mr. Cox provided closing remarks indicating his amazement of our children and how they will be the leaders in keeping our world peaceful. “As one of our Kindergarteners said it best ‘Peace means kindness and love!’”