Walking The Road of Peace

Students in P2 are learning about effective communication and other important life skills. From their blog:

“In our peace work this week, we revisited Black Elk’s vision that everybody walks the ‘road of difficulties’ at times, as well as the ‘road of peace’ at other times.

We went deeper into the stumbling blocks we all encounter on the road of difficulties (which are also there to teach us) and how to recognize the opportunity to transmute them into stepping stones.

It is a big and deep concept that the children seemed to really receive.  We are helping the children to verbalize their feelings and intentions in a more direct and effective way and giving them the vocabulary to express themselves.

Many of the children are learning the difference between saying ‘I am not friends with you’ and the more authentic desire of  ‘I want to work with someone else right now.’

We got to witness the interaction of one child very directly say to another child (who was crying after feeling rejected), ‘I don’t want to work with you now, but we will be friends forever.’

In turn, seeing the look of understanding, acceptance and healing wash over the face of the child who just moments before had been reduced to tears due to perceived rejection. The child was simply looking for a chance to work with someone else.

These are the life skills that give our children the opportunity to learn how to communicate and be in the world in a way that is respectful to themselves and aware of the impact that their words and deeds have on the collective.

We also coupled this teaching by introducing the ‘good deeds tree.’  A small tree that the children were taught to place a flower on once they have done a good deed for another person; such as comforting a crying child on the playground, letting another child go in front of them in line, or helping another child put their work away.

The tree has been full of flowers and gives all of us a visual reminder of the positive power created when the collective is attuned to the needs of the individual.”

For more pictures and news, check out their blog (FMS Parents only).