Teacher’s wish for peace delivered

BY VANESSA COMTOIS

Last week teachers across the island were flooded with gifts and goodies from grateful students and parents for teacher appreciation week. St. Edmund elementary school, however, did something unexpected for one of its teachers.

In preparation for last week, teachers at the Beaconsfield school were asked to write down a wish they would like fulfilled. Suzanna Koikaran, of the parent’s committee, said most wanted a manicure, pedicure, or a 30-minute break. Grade 1 teacher Johanne Neander, on the other hand, wished for world peace. “We thought ‘wow, that’s really selfless and how do we accommodate that,’’’ Koikaran said.

The parent and the teacher appreciation committees got together and discussed how they could possibly grant this kind of wish. That’s when parent Patricia Esposito came up with the idea of the peace doves.

The peace project, as they call it, involved designing cards in which the children of Neander’s class could write words and draw pictures symbolizing peace. Filomena Fazio-Turchetto, a member of the committees, is the artist behind the cards. A dove holding a Canadian leaf in its beak graces the front of each card, along with the school’s name. “It’s really exciting for (the children),” Koikaran said.

The children began working on the inside of the cards the Friday before last during their lunch break. “I’m going to draw a soldier because he’s brave,” one student Noah Edwards said. Another, Ryan Van De Water, drew a person with a big bright smile. “He’s happy because there’s going to be world peace,” he said.

As a member of the Canadian organization Peaceful Schools International, St. Edmund is committed to creating and maintaining a culture of peace. “The school really has become a peaceful school,” Koikaran said.

The project remained a secret from Neander until last Friday when, at a school assembly, the doves were presented on her behalf to Sgt. Randy Belgrade from the military base in Petawawa, Ont. The doves are to be delivered to soldiers returning home from overseas.