BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
OLD TAPPAN, N.J.—More than 350 kindergarten through fourth grade students celebrated the International Day of Peace Sept. 21 at T. Baldwin Demarest Elementary School in Old Tappan with a school-wide assembly featuring music, engaging lessons on being considerate, and planting scores of multi-color “pinwheels for peace.”
The celebration of international peace day began in 2005 at the school and every year since students in all grades have participated in the event, part of the school’s ongoing character education program called “Kids for Character,” run by art teacher Doris Clark.
Clark visits each school class twice a month to conduct activities for character education.
She said the “pinwheels for peace” were created in each class as part of the school’s annual peace day celebration. The event kicks off a focus on peace that continues throughout the year.
The first international peace day was celebrated in 1981, school officials said.
Local officials attending the peace celebration included Schools Superintendent Dr. Danielle M. Da Giau and Mayor John Kramer.
Following songs, skits, and much laughter and singing, hundreds of youngsters walked in file to the front of the school to watch teachers plant their “pinwheels for peace” near the school’s longstanding peace pole. The peace pole was established during previous peace day activities.
“I think it’s a wonderful assembly,” said Old Tappan Mayor John Kramer, who was at the event. “It starts here in the school and if we could get everyone to instill this in their own homes, how great it would be.”
During the half-hour celebration, several teachers sang songs and urged the kids to focus on “the power to be considerate.” Teachers held up large colorful posters bearing letters of the word “power” and turned the letters over to reveal what actions children could take to be considerate.
Actions included: smiling, awareness of feelings, having manners, thinking of others, and showing patience.
These were the “power” pieces of being considerate that will be emphasized in lessons during the school year. The next school-wide activity will be a kindness quilt, which will include illustrations of acts of kindness.
“The first thing to be considerate is to smile, and someone will smile back at you,” said first grade teacher Allison Collucci, who emceed the event and kept kids smiling and singing.
‘Kids for Character’
All activities carried out in the school’s “Kids for Character” program throughout the year were developed by a Character Education Committee that develops curriculum and activities.
Some key components of developing character include trustworthiness, respect, citizenship, and other qualities.
Music teacher Al Natoli provided snippets of songs to emphasize specific parts, including one skit with a teacher who weaved and danced down the gym’s main aisle with an inflated pair of purple lips while telling the kids and adults alike to smile.
Natoli developed two songs for the program, “Think Peace” and “Kindness Grows.”
The character committee includes: Nancy Gambuti, LAUNCH/STEAM program; Clark, art teacher; Collucci, first grade; Lisa Straubinger, library media teacher, Susan Botterman, third grade, and Natoli.
“We’ve been working together for years, and basically our goals are to create an environment of acceptance and that the kids know appropriate behaviors to use. We just grow good character together. We feel like we’re a village and we have to work together,” said Gambuti, standing near the 20-plus newly planted pinwheels decorating the school’s front lawn.
The pinwheels formed a colorful backdrop to the school’s peace pole, decorated with expressions of peace in several languages.
Gambuti said peace poles can also be found in front of borough hall and the public library.
School Principal Ross Cooper said the event was a success.
“Today was a wonderful day that was many months in the making,” said Cooper. “It was inspiring to see the entire school community come together for the benefit of everyone involved. Several of our teachers, over the years, have put countless hours of work into our Character Education program, and their impact on our children is truly remarkable.”
Photos by Michael Olohan