For the first time in the history of the Freeport School District’s peace walks, all 7,000 students and more than 1,000 faculty and staff members along with invited guests, including Christopher Carini, Councilman 5th District and Seth Koshow representing Nassau County Minority Leader Levan Abrahams, joined Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kishore Kuncham and Board of Education President Maria Jordan-Awalom for a simultaneous districtwide peace walk at each of the district’s eight schools on Oct. 2. The annual peace walk was originally scheduled for Sept. 23 but was cancelled due to inclement weather.
It was a wave of yellow as students and staff wearing yellow apparel walked around the outside of their schools holding student-created signs promoting peace while others chanted messages promoting peace throughout the world.
At the Leo F Giblyn Elementary School, students proudly sang their school song “Do You Know Who We Are?” with the lyrics written by teachers Kathleen Bender and Shelly Schweiger and music by Dave Gorin. The song embraces the importance of coming together by respecting one another and every nation.
“Today as we celebrate and promote peace in our families, schools and community, it is also a special day around the world as people celebrate the birth of Mahatma Gandhi on this day in 1869 and National Nonviolence Day,” Dr. Kuncham said. “Let’s walk together to promote peace.”
“Students, you embody all the good qualities in the world,” Ms. Jordan-Awalom said during the Giblyn celebration. “Think about the good and the love you can contribute to promoting peace in the world.”
The district’s youngest students at Columbus Avenue School joined together with one voice as they walked around their school and chanted “What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now.” The students at New Visions Elementary School proudly displayed their handmade peace signs as they walked around their school three times.
It was a great day for peace in the Freeport schools and community.