Tracy Scott from the Peace Foundation came to Twizel Area School on Thursday the 24th of July to deliver a training day for a group of seniors so they could become Peer Mediators. During the day, students learned valuable skills in active listening, conflict resolution, and how to support a more positive and respectful school environment. Alongside this, they were also informed about Youth Peace Week. Youth Peace Week was started by the Peace Foundation after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a way to encourage young people to engage with the values of peace, understanding, and cooperation. Youth Peace Week happens in August each year and coincides with Hiroshima Day on 6 August and Nagasaki Day on 9 August to educate people about the consequences of nuclear war and to campaign for a world free of nuclear weapons.

As new peer mediators, we were encouraged to plan different kinds of events to celebrate peace week in our school. This gave us the opportunity to bring our peers together in ways that promote kindness, understanding, and a sense of community. We decided on three different events or activities. Peace Posters, Peace Doves, and our biggest event, Zumba4Peace.

The Peace Posters were part of a larger House Competition, where each class created and submitted one poster per house. These posters reflected the theme of peace and showcased the creativity and teamwork of each group. Once completed, the posters were judged, and placements were awarded, earning valuable house points for the winning teams. 

The Peace Doves activity involved giving every class, as well as all of the teachers, a dove template to colour in. Once completed, the doves were collected and stapled to the walls all around the school, creating a vibrant display of unity and positivity. If you haven’t already seen them, make sure to look up at the walls next time you’re walking through the school.

Our biggest event to organise for Peace Week was Zumba4Peace. The idea came about because our new physical education teacher, Mrs Baterna, has been teaching Zumba to all of her middle and senior school classes this year. We thought it would be a fun, energetic way to bring the whole school together. We first shared the idea with Mrs Baterna on the same day Tracey visited, and she was instantly excited to get involved.

Of course, the challenge was figuring out how to make sure everyone could see and hear her so it could truly be a whole-school event. I decided to use the headset microphones we normally use for school productions, which worked perfectly for her to move around while still being heard clearly and having her hands free. We also chose the basketball hall as our venue, with Mrs Baterna elevated on the bleachers so the entire crowd could follow along with the moves. In the end, it was exactly the kind of atmosphere we hoped to create for Peace Week.

Thank you to the teachers who put up with our antics, especially Mrs Schaar and Ms Sargeant who helped us organise and plan. A massive thank you to Mrs Baterna who we could not have done Zumba without, and thank you to the peer meditators, both senior and junior, for planning and executing the plans we had for the week.

Nga Mihi,
Mackenzie Dunnicliff