Peace Curriculum at Alcuin Montessori

​This past year has been filled with various peace promoting exercises from peace-building activities in the classrooms to making blankets and hats for those in need, to joining a worldwide peace art project. Sophia Lyman, our art teacher, began working with the Middle School students on a special project for the Global Art Project for Peaceprogram. 

This program pairs up schools from around the world to exchange gifts of peace each year so that there are many gifts of peace being sent to various locations all around the world. 

The Middle School students worked hard on an artists’ book to send to our partner school. They had much fun in the process as well as much discussion about peace, diversity, and differences throughout the world. Our school was paired up with Choirokoitia Primary School in Larnaca, Cyprus and they sent a lovely gift of peace-themed matching cards. Each has a unique, student-made decorated box for safe keeping, and contains about 8 sets of hand-drawn matching cards. The school made enough for each of our classes to have at least one set!

Although the exchange occurred late in the year, this did not diminish the students’ excitement about these beautiful materials. We had wonderful discussions about how each card was drawn by a student and also looked on the map to see where that student lives. Cultivating peace and understanding is very important in our community and our students thrive in learning about people around the world. 

This fall also marked an additional school-wide peace event with the addition of a peace pole and officially making our school an International Peace Site. This celebration coincided with International Peace Day on September 22. We hope to make this another annual tradition and start off the school year on a peaceful, positive, and community minded note. 

Finally, this school year we have transformed our All School Community Events (first Fridays of each month) into more focused and specialized community giving projects. We would like each event to incorporate a community spirit as well as develop a culture for giving and looking out for those in need. 

We are looking forward to another wonderful school year with a chance for our students to grow even more into their roles of peacemakers in our school and our community. 

Amanda Sanderson
Primary Teacher