Grow Love

The art of encouragement is the art of creating community and celebrating friendship. – Candy Paull

The third graders at CT Walker know a little about baking for good. In December, they held bake sales to raise money for Children Inspiring Hope. The two classes raised nearly $800! Their projects are as sweet as the goodness they were baking, and were received with both excitement and gratitude.

Dr. Painter’s students sent beautiful poems for the Earth, some of which rhymed, others that were raps, all giving thanks to the Earth for all the bounty, each in their own unique way. We chuckled at the Earth Dance Party drawing in one, Earth with dancing arms and a disco ball, expressing how Earth is the best planet for the life it sustains. They also shared friendship recipes. For example:

Friendship cake:

1 C      Kindness

½ C     Fairness

1t        Politeness

¼ C     Honestness

1C       Carefulness

 

We all took time to share the recipes and poems, and help the students read in their second language. In return, Beauty’s P3 students shared “If They Were a Seed They Would Be….”

Next door, in Emma’s P3 class, Ms. Evans’ Friendship Garden was shared and the students cultivated their own ideas and creations of their gardens filled with colorful representations of their favorite foods, how they are made and family stories attached to them. The simple act of cutting colored paper lights the faces in the darkened room, as students work closely together to exchange ideas, and friendship, cross-culturally. Love is encouraged and grows here.