City Beat

Willow Glen Elementarylearns peace useful in conflicts

Schools participate in PeaceBuilders, a national program

By Kate Carter

While school violence is making headlines across the country, Willow Glen Elementary School students are learning that it pays to work for peaceful solutions.

"I am a peace builder. I pledge to praise people, to give up put downs, to seek wise people, to notice and speak up about hurts I have caused, to right wrongs. I will build peace at home, at school and in my community each day," the students pledged as they were visited by a group of Milpitas students who are participating in the Arizona-based PeaceBuilders program.

The students are from Russell Middle School and came to Willow Glen Elementary to support their younger classmates in their goal to promote peace and unity in the world.

"It's a way of keeping faith and out of fights," said 12-year-old Jannice Tu. "If everybody praised people, I know it would brighten up (their) days."

Before the program started at Russell Middle School, they confided, fights and other altercations between children were common. Now, though, fights only happen a few times a year, they said.

"Most people get put down everyday and they're sad," said eighth-grader Thomas Guerra, 13. "They might hurt themselves because someone said something about how they looked or what their race is."

Schools that choose to participate in the program pay a fee for the right to use the PeaceBuilders trademarked name, as well as materials and trainings by the organization's staff, Executive Director Roberta Sher Dobbs says. Santa Clara County's Public Health Department sponsors the PeaceBuilder schools in its jurisdiction, she says.

Willow Glen Elementary has participated in the program for the past three years, school counselor Ana Fierro-Estrada says.

Twenty-seven third- through fifth-graders are the school's "peace-builder coaches" who take turns distributing praise notes at recess to students, in recognition of their peace-building behavior.

Fierro-Estrada says the program has been successful at the school to encourage not just the students, but the teachers, staff and volunteers to all treat each other with more respect and create a safer, more welcoming environment.

One of the challenges of the program, she says, is encouraging the older students to support it.

"They feel it's a childish program and they don't go with it," she says. "That's part of being a child at that age. I want them to feel proud that they're peace builders."

She invited the Russell Middle students to talk to her third- through fifth-graders on May 31, about building peace.

"These students are role models for you, as you are role models for the younger students," she told the cafeteria full of children.

Principal Anita Sunseri told the gathering that included teachers, parents and county staff, "The purpose is to show our students that people older than them can also be peace builders."

The six Russell Middle students then each explained the importance of peace building in their school.

Eighth-grader Charles Sachkar told the group that praising people not only makes them feel better, but it can prevent school violence.

Seventh-grader Carlos Garcia, 13, reminded the students to always tell adults they trust if they see violence or weapons.

Eighth-grader Avani Oswal, 14, showed the group an award the school received in 1999, for being a National PeaceBuilder Model.

"Being a peace builder doesn't end when you leave elementary school," said sixth-grader Felicia Linn, 12. "It's a lifelong commitment. Is peace something uncool? Don't think that. Without peace, who knows what it would be like?"

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