Blog
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Thoughts from Meadow Elementary School
Sunday, November 4, 2007 - Post/View Comments: View Comments
Principal Melissa Becker
Meadow Elementary School
Petaluma, CA
"One person, no matter how small, can make a difference in the world"
When I look back on my life, there are several defining moments that have made me who I am today. There are the obvious moments like graduating from college, my first job, getting married and having children. These moments have built a strong foundation for me. But then, there are more subtle influences like visiting the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, reading a book by Toni Morrison or teaching a child how to read. These moments have helped to root my beliefs and feelings. When one of these subtle, almost unnoticeable occurrences happen that changes a part of one's soul, something magical happens. It inspires you to pay it forward. In the midst of a seemingly unwanted event comes something profound. On September 11, 2001 our world changed forever. We all lost much innocence and the course of life changed. While that was an obvious moment, it was a less obvious moment that impacted me to make a change.
On that horrible day on September 11, 2001, I was working as an assistant principal at a middle school. We were on a ropes course with the kids, so school for the day was already unusual. We had no access to television, and only received information via the bus driver who sat in a big yellow school bus. He relayed the news to us, piece by unthinkable piece. A week passed, and the world was still in a daze as we sat glued to our televisions watching the horrific images.
When I arrived at work on the Monday following the tragedy, I was surprised to see a gigantic box -- I mean a GIGANTIC box -- sitting in my office. When I looked at the label, I saw it was from Japan. Our sister school in Kyoto had sent the box. Inside there was a beautifully written note gracing the top of the box. It simplistically and beautifully stated that they were deeply saddened by the loss of so many American lives in the World Trade Center tragedy. When I lifted the letter off the top I unveiled two breathtaking sprays of bright multi-colored paper cranes all connected at the top by a bold red ribbon. Each spray weighed about 15 pounds, hanging over 4 feet in length. Together they have a total of 2,974 cranes -- each crane representing a life lost on that terrible day. As I pulled those cranes from the box I sobbed ... the visual representation was perfect and overwhelming. A unique, intricate crane for each unique irreplaceable person.
I was struck by the immediate and sincere gesture by those a world away in Japan. They stopped what they were doing and created a piece of art that was so genuine and heartfelt. A kind act that meant so much. And, a lesson taught that I needed to learn. If our places had been reversed, and there had been a huge disaster in Japan, would I have had my students drop everything to create something to support their country? Would I have even thought to send a card? Unfortunately, the answer was no. Not because I am selfish, not because I don't care, but because I am sometimes too involved and ingrained in my own immediate world to reach out or even notice what is happening thousands of miles away. In the exact moment I held the cranes, I changed. I made a vow to be different.
Today, Tents of Hope is our school's opportunity to get involved, to make a change. This year our theme at Meadow Elementary School is, "One person, no matter how small, can make a difference in the world." Each child will have the opportunity to touch the life of another child and make a difference. This week each student will begin painting a 12x12 inch canvas square that contains a message of peace and hope. All 452 squares will then be delivered to school-aged children in Darfuri refugee camps in eastern Chad who will paint on the reverse side of each square. The children will also be exchanging letters, drawings and video messages in an attempt to make a connection between children living worlds apart un der completely different circumstances. Once the squares are returned to us, Reliable Tents and Tipis in Billings, Montana will sew the squares together and our tent will be put on display as a message of hope and peace in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
This small gesture on the part of the 904 students, who will be forever bound together through an art project, will hopefully make a difference for the thousands of visitors who will view the tent. Hopefully, the innocence of the children, through their simple paintings of peace, will instill a rumble of change for those who see and learn about the unacceptable conditions of the people of Darfur. Although young voices are small, together they can unite in one loud cry that will be heard around the world.
