26: On Diversity and Peace

 

“So powerful is the light of unity that it illuminates the whole world.”

Friede,

Paz,

平和 (heiwa),

Barış,

평화 Pyeonghwa,

和平 Hépíng,

Rahu,

Kapayapaan,

Hòa bình,

Peace.

There are currently 7.9 billion people on earth. Each one is different from the other, and no two are exactly alike. Our diversity doesn't just make the world colorful, it helps us to survive and thrive. Ecosystems are the perfect example of how diversity is needed for a community to flourish, as it cannot live with just one species. It needs a variety of plants and animals to survive. This is the same for people. Our differences help us contribute our gifts, beliefs, skills, and ideas to make our communities better, and collectively stronger. 

In the IB, our goal is to foster international-minded students who are advocates of a peaceful world through acceptance and respect of our differences as a people, and who value our common humanity. Peace is such a complex concept to grasp, but for kindergarteners, sometimes it's as simple as sharing one's toy or welcoming a new friend. 

This week, we celebrate peace and diversity in DSKI through our International Book and Culture Week. 

On Monday, we came in our traditional costumes. In Kinder 2, we come from many countries: Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Spain, Estonia, Turkey, Germany, and the Philippines! 

Some of us brought traditional toys from our country for our friends to enjoy.

On Tuesday, we wore funny hats to school. This was a special day because we learned games and crafts from different the countries of some parent volunteers in school. 

We also had a chance to visit our Guess Who's Reading corner, where we guessed the faces covered behind their favorite books! 

On Wednesday, we went straight to school from our bed -- and wore our pajamas! We were all ready for Quiet Time the whole day!

We also had a chance to visit the cultural booths from different countries! It was exciting to learn about  the cultures of our friends and teachers in school. 

On Thursday, we wore some silly socks to school! We had to take off our shoes to see what they look like -- and they look silly, indeed! 

We also had a special guest: Diego's mom! She and Ms. Chinatsu read a story, made a puppet show, and taught us a fun dance from her country. Thank you, TuAnh, for coming and teaching us about your culture -- and about silly socks, too!

On Friday, we came as our favorite book character. Some came in costumes that fit their personalities so well. We all loved playing dress up. We also had a special guest on this day: Jin's mom! She helped us take our beautiful photos -- and she came in costume as a minion, too. Thank you, Midori, for volunteering to be our photographer! 

It was a wonderful week spent learning about our cultures, languages, and traditions. It underscored what is truly essential: that our differences make us beautiful, and together, we are stronger. 

Here's to peace on earth. 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Your Kindergarten teacher, 

Pam