Peace Walk
Students at Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral took part in the third annual Peace Walk last Friday, as faculty and staff have been teaching students the importance of being kind, not being a bully and giving back to the community.
Each student was challenged to raise $10 (or more) for the walk-a-thon, with a portion of money raised this year going to the American Cancer Society, as Diplomat recently lost one of its beloved teachers to pancreatic cancer.
“Our school decided several years ago that we were going to focus on peace and just being kind to ourselves, each other and the world,” said Principal Maura Bennington. “My philosophy is that you get in life what you think about, concentrate and work on. So if we’re working towards peace and being kind, we’ll kind of get rid of those other things like picking-on and bullying. So that’s why we focus on the positive.”
The school goal has been raised over the years, from $4,000 to $6,000 and now $10,000. The school surpassed this year’s goal even before the final numbers were tallied.
“I love that our kids have raised over $10,000. This is a record breaker for us,” Bennington said.
The Peace Walk started with curriculum geared towards unity among all students and teachers alike.
“We learned that we should be kind to everyone, and that we should spread the word of being kind and giving respect to everybody,” said Diplomat eighth-grader Liam Russell.
Liam said he believes that no one person is more important than the next, and that you shouldn’t treat someone poorly just because they’re not the same as you.
“Being special isn’t a bad thing,” Liam said. “If everyone was the same, it would be a boring world. Everyone being different – that’s a good thing in life.”
Fellow eighth-grader Kasey Luong, who raised more than $400 for the Peace Walk, also feels that equality is a strong foundation upon which to build character.
“Everyone is a little different in their own way, with their own little quirks and unique characteristics,” Kasey said. “Everyone should be treated the same, even if they’re not the same.”
The pair have learned to be compassionate towards their peers and classmates, to comfort them if they’re feeling down, or to make them feel included and not left out.
“Ask them if they’re all right. Maybe talk to them for a little bit, have your friends be friends with them, so they feel comfortable at this school, so they don’t feel alone,” Liam said.
“I’ve learned that even the smallest gestures can make someone’s day,” Kasey said. “You could give them a smile in the hallway, or say ‘Hi’ even if you don’t know them. When someone’s being bullied, don’t just sit there and do nothing about it – stand up and do something for them.”
The qualities these young minds posses is something Bennington is proud to have helped instill.
“Our students are very community-minded,” she said. “We work really hard to get them that way. We walk in the classrooms, we talk about peace, we talk about making sure they’re giving to each other.”
Diplomat school counselor Caroline Toadvine, who played a huge role in organizing past and present Peace Walks, said promoting peace and kindness was always a priority, but felt they needed to do more.
“We needed something a little different to have action, and something different to promote peace,” she said.
That something different was the Peace Walk “walk-a-thon.”
The students walked, ran and danced around the track outside of the school, logging laps for peace.
Each classroom is challenged to raise their goal, she said.
The money raised from the Peace Walk, besides being donated to the American Cancer Society, is used for positive programs and special rewards at Diplomat.
They brought in motivational speaker Jon Pritikin, from California, for a presentation about being kind and achieving your goals.
“We give it (in the form of) rewards for students who are doing the right thing, (such as) prizes after they’ve completed tests,” Toadvine said. “If a teacher needs a class set of books, or the STEM class needs money to buy new drones – it goes right back to the students.”
The lessons behind the money raised is what the day is all about, something Toadvine feels passionately about.
“It’s a day to raise awareness on the importance of being kind through our actions,” she said. “I think we need to take time out to think about what it really means to be kind. I think it’s our civic duty to give back, and I think one of the best ways that we can give back is by serving our community.
“It promotes self-esteem, it brings us together as a family, it gives us self-confidence. At this tender age, we can teach children the value of giving back and hope that they remember (what they) felt this day, and will remember that in their adult lives and continue to give back.”
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