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Featured Sites |
PeacePartners, Inc. honors our valued partners by celebrating their passion for peace, their
creative ideas, and the wonderful implementation strategies they incorporate.
As we continue to support our partners, it is our privilege to showcase PeaceBuilders sites.
Don't just take our word for it. Read about some featured sites as they explored their problems,
developed their PeaceBuilders solution, and discovered positive outcomes! We invite you to sit
back and explore the fantastic PeaceBuilding events happening throughout the United States and
U.S. Territories. |
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| Francis School - Ada, OK |
Francis School may be new to the PeaceBuilders family, but that doesn't mean they're sitting on
the sidelines watching the rest of us play while they learn the rules! This dedicated site has gone
all in and they are loving the experience and all the new peaceful traditions
they are creating.
They have decided to have regular PeaceBuilders PowWows which all the teachers, staff and students will
attend. PeaceBuilders of the Month awards will be presented along with other praise and awards
earned by youth.
In preparation for a recent PowWow, the music teacher worked with all the students, allowing
each class to be responsible for a stanza of their very own Francis School PeaceBuilders song.
The song below is sung to the tune of "This Old Man."
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I WILL BE A PEACEBUILDER
Say nice things,
Give a compliment,
Give up put downs,
Do you get the hint?
I will be a PeaceBuilder - just you wait and see.
Come and build the peace with me.
Look around,
Can you see?
Teachers, parents and friends
Can help you and me.
I will be a PeaceBuilder - just you wait and see.
Come and build the peace with me.
If your friend is sad,
Maybe even mad,
Help them turn their sad frown
Upside down.
I will be a PeaceBuilder - just you wait and see.
Come and build the peace with me.
Let's right our wrongs
With a song.
Being a good friend
Is never wrong.
I will be a PeaceBuilder - just you wait and see.
Come and build the peace with me.
This creative, enthusiastic site also created a PeaceBuilders
skit which was performed for the entire school by the 3rd grade class.
PeaceBuilders Skit: Praise People and Give Up Put-Downs
The skit deals with the first two principles of the PeaceBuilder Pledge - Praise
People and Give Up Put-Downs. Six balloons sit In front of the audience. Each balloon
has one of the following phrases printed on it for everyone to see:
Great Job!
That was STUPID!
FANTASTIC!
You're a Moron!
You're a great friend!
He's weird.
Student #1 - "What's the big deal about being a PeaceBuilder?"
Student #2 - "Well, at Francis School, we realize that treating others the way we want to be treated, helps us all get along better."
Student #3 - "And memorizing the PeaceBuilders Pledge help us remember the principles we should use each day."
Student #4 - "And we need to use them at school, at home and in our community too."
Student #1 - "Why?"
Student #2 - "Well, let's take a look at the difference in praise words and put-down words. Maybe that will help you to understand."
Student #3 - Reads (aloud) the words on all balloons.
Student #4 - Asks student #1, "Which words make you feel better when they're spoken to you?"
Student #1 - "Well, everybody feels better when nice words of praise are spoken."
Student #2 - "Then you should see why the first two principles in our PeaceBuilders Pledge are so easy, yet so important."
Student #1 - "OOhh, let's get rid of those put-down words right now. Those made me feel horrible."
As Student #1 again goes down the line of balloons and reads each word, he/she turns to crowd and asks
for a thumbs up if it's a praise word, or a thumbs down if it's a put-down. Each time a put-down is
read and the audience gives the thumbs down sign, Student #1 pops that balloon with a pin.
After going down the line of balloons, Student #1 asks the other students on stage to say the
PeaceBuilders Pledge together to help all the people in the audience learn it. Students and faculty
recite the PeaceBuilders pledge along with them.
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Both this song and skit are wonderful examples of how to take the PeaceBuilders message and make
it your own. Allowing the students to be involved in the process of teaching the concept of peace is
a very smart strategy and we praise the adults at Francis Elementary for their wisdom. If you want
young people to buy-in and really value PeaceBuilders, give them roles and responsibilities for
making it successful. Let them help to make it personal and give it their stamp of approval.
Our praise and thanks go to the staff at Francis for sharing their ideas and for working so hard
and so smart to build peace at their school and in their community.
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