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Peace constant lesson at this school

It seems everyone at this elementary school is involved in talking about, studying and celebrating peace, and then putting it to work each day.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
Published January 26, 2006

HERNANDO - Forest Ridge Elementary School students seem determined to make this a more peaceful world. Every year they celebrate peace within their school as well as recognize its importance everywhere else.

This year's peace program featured members of the school's Peace Club, who staged a skit about a spat between kids over who had the right to use the local basketball court. It ended with the children finding a peaceful way to share.

The students also performed a rap dance and sang about unity. "You are you and I am me, but we are us and us are we," they rapped.

The students in the Peace Club are mostly fifth-graders, directed by teachers Lorraine Gonzales, Susan Federico and Mandy Lajeunesse. The children wore matching T-shirts they had designed.

During the show, School Advisory Enhancement Council member and retired firefighter Ted Holmes presented a report about a New Orleans school to which Forest Ridge donated money from its penny collection. Forest Ridge had received a letter from that school's principal thanking them for the help.

The Peace Club students also prepared a PowerPoint presentation about Nobel Peace Prize winners called "Let Peace Prevail, 2005-2006." After explaining the award's history, the students highlighted modern day winners including Mother Teresa (1979), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1964), Elie Weisel (1986), Jimmy Carter (2002) and Shirin Ebadi (2003).

This year, the club decided to present peace prizes to Forest Ridge Elementary students. The recipients were chosen by their teachers for their contributions to peace within their classrooms and school.

The recipients: Noel Nunez and Christopher DiRosa, prekindergarten; Kayci Linquist, Rheannon Simas, Talia Eichhorn, Joy Moses, Sashi Jones and Sydney Roessler, kindergarten; Maya Shaw, Melody Stecz, Cassandra Swartz, Robert Haake, Blake Shaw and Dove Ashmore, first grade.

Mercedes Scott, Alana Marley, Alex Shelko, Neya Waters, Paul Estrada, second grade; Tyler Watt, Shelby Alsup-Tyler, Jakob Elder, Madisen Holton, Kara Knoll and Haley Brooks, third grade; Selina Delgado, Jesse Lapore, Steven Swartz, Reid Carlton, Elise Abel and Paul Estrada; fourth grade; and Viranda Long, Keilsie Begart, Sabrina Scott, Ryan Carolla, Ashley Hoffman, Andrew Rhodes and Wesley Green, fifth grade.

The kindergarten students sang "If I could write a magic song of peace." The peace posters created by all the classes hung around the cafeteria were recognized, and the program ended with a slide show of spectacular landscapes captioned with inspirational sayings, accompanied by the soothing sounds of peaceful music.

[Last modified January 26, 2006, 01:01:17]