A project for peace at Munsey Park School

The Island Now
Munsey Park students take a peace stroll through the hallways to read the many peace pledges developed by students as part of an annual peace project. (Munsey Park students take a peace stroll through the hallways to read the many peace pledges developed by students as part of an annual peace project. (Photos courtesy of the Manhasset School District)

More than 600 students and staff recently took a mindful stroll through the hallways of Munsey Park Elementary School for the third annual “Thousand Pledges for Peace Walk.” The walk culminated a 2-month writing project in which fifth-graders pledged peace in the form of personal narratives, poems, posters and songs, all of which are on display in the school. Throughout the day, students, teachers, staff and administrators read and reflected upon the 1,000 pledges posted on the walls.

In collaboration with ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, fifth-graders also designed and submitted to the company a mock pint of ice cream with a peace-themed flavor featuring “ingredients for peace.” The submissions were displayed throughout the school for the walk, as well. In turn, Ben & Jerry’s sent the students their own mock prototype cup based on Munsey Park’s submissions.

Along with these creative projects, fifth-graders participated in rich, proactive discussions and presentations with their classmates and younger peers leading up to the walk. Their exchanges focused on what it means to make peace in their lives.

Sixth-graders did their part for the peace-inspired day by analyzing Michael Jackson’s song “Change” to guide their own interpretations of “I make peace by….” They presented their ideas using Google Slides, which were also made available for viewing. The school’s overall participation in the “I Make Peace” project has garnered national attention, with letters from the White House and the New York Giants, among others.“’I make peace’ is our action statement,” said teacher and project coordinator Marianne O’Donnell. “Everyone in our Munsey Park school community had an important stake in ‘peace’ that brings about positive change in our lives.”

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