Third Graders at the American International School of Jeddah celebrated International Day on Jan. 24 with kids from numerous countries participating in a musical program.
The school has students from 37 different nationalities from kindergarten to high school.
The music program began with the elementary school principal, Ms. Clark, welcoming all the parents and staff. She gave a synopsis of the tradition of International Day as a culmination of the integrated unit in Language Arts, Social Studies, Music and Art. Dressed in their colorful national costumes, the children performed songs based on global peace, harmony and cultural awareness.
Each child quoted a famous person’s words on world peace. It was heartening to hear the words of Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, The Beatles, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, and even Charlie Brown.
Ms. Majid and Ms. Blatt, third-grade homeroom teachers, said teaching peace and international cultural understanding would enable students to function and work constructively in a multinational group setting. They said young children should see, learn and practice appropriate social behaviors in order for these skills to become a meaningful part of their daily behavior.
The foundation for a peaceful classroom is an environment where children feel safe, are loved, and learn lifelong conflict-resolution skills. As teachers of young children, they think that they hold an influential position as their actions leave a lasting impression on every child they educate. Children need to learn that even though they are all different, they can all live in peace with love, harmony and be friends. The two teachers said they hope that these third graders will carry this message to all corners of the world when they grow up and leave Saudi Arabia.
Mrs. Khoury, the music teacher, feels that music is an important link in teaching the kids about peace in this world. She truly believes teaching peace begins at school and it helps the kids develop the art of reasoning and the empathy which will help in creating a peaceful, more just world. Ms. Hayes, the instructional assistant did a wonderful job of displaying the children’s work on walls while the art teachers did their part by designing the backdrop in the art class with the third graders.
The multicultural event ended with a scrumptious International Luncheon contributed by supportive parents. There was yummy apple pie from the United States, biryani from India, kebabs from Pakistan, kunafa from Palestine, kimbob from South Korea, stuffed grape leaves from Syria, tabbouleh from Lebanon, mansaf from Jordan, satay from Indonesia, ful-tamiya from Egypt, and many other delicious, goodies. Everyone left with a better understanding and respect for different cultures which will hopefully lead to an environment designed to foster international understanding, tolerance and peace.