Peace, love and kindness core to what makes Lavallette school strong

LAVALLETTE — Peace was truly in the air last week in Lavallette as the whole elementary school promoted peace, love and understanding in the Kindness Walk on Friday, Sept. 20.

Superintendent and Principal of Lavallette Elementary School Lisa Gleason said, “We are excited to be celebrating today’s International Peace Day. What we decided to do to really commemorate the day – which is really important for kids and for all people in our school community – is to have a peace and kindness walk.”

Students, staff and even some parents and guardians took part in the peace walks. The walk began with a lap around the school’s field with the youngest children, then went all the way down to the boardwalk and back to the school.

Students in a variety of grades showed off their headbands and pinwheels, colored and decorated with messages of peace, love and understanding. Some of the higher level grade students made peace posters, which they held high as they walked to the beach and back.

“Our children live in a complex world. They live in a world that is driven by social media, a lot of unknowns and trying to live up to expectations and the bar by others on social media,” said Superintendent Gleason. “It creates a lot of pressure and a lot of stress and anxiety, in some cases, in some students. Bringing kids back to the basic concepts of what kindness is about and understanding that we are all different and that the images on social media are not real. What is real is how we interact with each other face to face.”

As the walkers returned to campus, they gathered around the garden. “Peace poles” were planted into the ground and younger students stuck pinwheels into garden and flower beds nearby.

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