The International Day of Peace, September 21st of each year, was established by the United Nations in 1981 as day devoted to “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace.” At PCS it’s a day for students to compose and share their understandings and hopes of peace.

This year, to observe the International Day of Peace, the PCS community gathered around the garden for seven rounds of peace breathing led by Ms. Paola. On the inhale, we breathed in our thoughts of the Earth, on the exhale we sent out our intentions for peace. Above us, flew our flags for peace, spreading our messages into the world on the breeze.

Following our gathering around the garden, we headed to the community room to view climate activist Greta Thunberg’s TED talk on the climate crisis and the urgent need for immediate, decisive action. As students knew from their research the preceding week, this year’s International Day of Peace was dedicated to climate action, and Greta’s speech inspired students to return to their classrooms and consider her message — its content, its delivery, and its urgency — as well as the connections between climate action and peace. How do we need to act together to achieve peace?

At the end of the day, we reconvened in the community room to share our thoughts about peace and action: students shared poems, commentary, annotated illustrations, songs, and letters to congress.