As the 2017-2018 school year nears its end, students have become especially reflective on the significance of trees. Not only for their natural beauty and ecological importance but also as a symbol for human diversity. This year has been dedicated to the theme, “Every Tree Tells a Story: What can we learn from trees and exploring diversity in life through the examination of a forest?” Throughout the year, the whole school, at every grade level and in every subject, has been exploring different aspects of trees in a variety of activities. To name just a few, outdoor learning classes have examined different tree species on nature hikes, younger students have done tree yoga and created family trees, music classes have learned lively tree songs, stunning tree paintings have been made in art class, books about trees have been emphasized in the library, middle school students have penned tree poems and essays, and science classes have explored tree botany.
All this community energy around trees culminated on May 1st at the Wish Tree Celebration, an event which effectively wove together so many projects into a perfect expression of the tree-inspired year. The warm, sunny morning began with the dedication of a new Peace Pole, replacing the older weathered wooden one. The whole school gathered around the shiny white pole as Head of School Matthew Bradley explained its significance. This new pole, created by The Peace Pole Project and funded by a generous grant from D’Olier Foundation, has eight languages and a Braille plate. Like the biodiversity of a healthy forest, the languages are diverse: English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Hebrew, Algonquin, Mandarin and Swahili. The writings may look different but they all express the same message: “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” Fittingly, The Peace Pole Project agreed to plant ten trees in Africa in honor of FSMH constructing this new Peace Pole.
After the dedication, students divided by class and visited different tree stations. Eighth graders met them there, giving well-prepared speeches about each tree species and fielding student questions with the confidence of trained botanists. The groups of students traveled from station to station, hearing about what makes each tree unique and valued. This theme about the importance of diversity was strongly reinforced prior to the Wish Tree Celebration in Grades 3-5. They read Wishtree by Katherine Applegate, a timely story which deals with racism and exclusion. Like in the story, our students wanted to create their own “wishtree,” which involves a community tying pieces of cloth to a tree with messages of hope. Fourth Grade created a video that explained the book and sent it to the whole school community, inviting them to tie their wishes on FSMH’s own wish tree. The result of this bold experiment was a strikingly beautiful tree, streaming with colorful ribbons of fabric. Each ribbon carried a wish, ranging from wanting a new baby sister to loftier dreams of world peace.
The Wish Tree Celebration concluded with the whole school gathering around a newly planted burgundy belle oak nearby the playground. This tree, purchased with funds from the Spring Auction, will one day provide shade and a home for birds. Gathered around the young tree, Teacher Kate lead the whole school in the song, “My Roots Go Down.” Head of School Matthew Bradley closed the events for the day by reminding everyone about the importance of diversity. “Our all-school theme this year is ‘Every Tree Tells a Story’ and today we experienced that firsthand,” said Bradley. “Like a forest, our community is enriched by its wonderful diversity.”
Click here for a gallery of photos from the Wish Tree Celebration.
Follow and Contact Us