Student ‘Peace Day’ Marks U.N. Opening

A grassy playground was transformed Tuesday morning with a display of flags representing nations from Italy to Israel, Great Britain to Germany at Riverdale Elementary School’s 14th annual International Day of Peace, coinciding with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly session.

With the song “Coming to America” playing over the loudspeaker, children marched across campus carrying a dozen foreign flags, led by Old Glory, to a replica of the Statue of Liberty.

Peace Day was observed not only in Garden Grove Unified School District elementary schools but also at some in Santa Ana and other parts of the county, where ceremonies and assemblies were held.

At Riverdale, students of Cambodian, Samoan, French, Korean, Filipino and Chinese descent, along with teachers from Estonia, Holland, Japan and Syria, planned the day to bring cultures together and “give a nice warm feeling from their heads to their toes,” Principal Sue Daily said.

Teacher Paul Portner, who developed the Peace Day concept 14 years ago, said the event gives the school an opportunity to talk about the many ethnic groups represented on campus while focusing on cooperation.

Of the school’s 650 students, about 50% are Latino and 25% Vietnamese, Daily said. About 80% of the students have limited English proficiency, she said.

The festivities appeared to achieve the goal of stirring students’ interest in peace and cooperation.

Fifth-grader Rachael Swift explained that peace is “sharing, having friends and being and feeling happy,” while sixth-grader Anh Bui added that “peace is everybody’s dream.”

Some were more specific.

“Peace is no pushing or fighting in line,” sixth-grader Diana Gallegos said.

Said fourth-grader Jamie Leanos: “Peace means no fighting.”

The day’s events ended with the launching of the school’s Peace Balloon, a weather balloon painted to resemble Earth.

The children applauded enthusiastically as the balloon, adorned with the word “peace” in several languages, was released and floated 150 feet above the school. “That was cool!” sixth-grader Erica Grebe exclaimed.

Kindergartner Samantha Pinci still couldn’t take her eyes off all the colorful flags, though. “That’s my country’s flag,” the 5-year-old said, pointing to the Stars and Stripes. “The red, white and blue one.”