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Schools

Celebrating a day of peace

Longleaf Elementary students recite poems, sing songs and make crafts to mark International Peace Day.

By MICHELE MILLER
Published September 27, 2006

	[Times photo: Brendan Fitterer]
	Longleaf Elementary School student Derek Jason, 9, releases white homing pigeons as part of the art and literacy project called "Pinwheels for Peace" Thursday at the school in New Port Richey. This is the second year that the school has participated in the worldwide project.

Amid a courtyard filled with hundreds of colorful spinning pinwheels and in front of about 800 fellow students, Kerry Archbold, 10, stepped up to the black metal music stand and began to recite the poem she'd written herself in pencil on wide-ruled paper.

Maybe it was the "Supergirl" T-shirt she was wearing. Or maybe it was her emerging convictions that gave her the courage to speak clearly.

Peace is very loving,

Peace is very kind....

Sept. 21 marked the second year that Longleaf Elementary School celebrated the International Day of Peace by taking part in the worldwide art and literacy project called "Pinwheels for Peace."

The celebration, started in 2005 by two art teachers from Coconut Creek has become a pet project for Longleaf art teacher Stefanie Bracciale. Funded by the school PTO, the Pinwheels for Peace project is one of many enrichment activities held throughout the school year, Bracciale said.

"We want to expose children to as many experiences as possible," she said, adding that a sidewalk art show is one of the next activities on the agenda.

Like last year, students made pinwheels out of paper and straws. They made posters for the courtyard walls. They wrote and recited poems and learned a new song under the guidance of music teachers Dan O'Hara and Jim Wanker.

"One small step, one small step," were the words belted out by kids like a gap-toothed, 5-year-old Bradley Smith.

Along with his kindergarten classmates, Bradley came dressed for the occasion with a construction paper peace sign hung around his neck and a "Let Peace Begin With Me" headband.

Students and faculty members also had a chance to step up to the microphone to honor family members serving in the military.

This year's celebration grew a little bit more. In one added activity, students learned how to breathe deeply and do the mountain pose during a brief yoga lesson from Catherine Tardif, a certified yoga instructor from Namaste' Yoga Studio in Tampa.

Then there was the highlight of the celebration: the release of 10 white homing pigeons from a large wicker basket in the school's courtyard.

"I think this year's event meant more to me than last year's," said Bracciale as a few pigeons circled the school one more time before heading to their home - about a two-hour flight - in Plant City.

"The students got so involved. They had a lot of excitement leading up to this," she said. "A lot of them were asking, 'Why is this only one day?' "

[Last modified September 27, 2006, 07:40:56]