Feeling the Power of Peace at French International

French International was filled with music, languages, reflection, and plenty of joy as our entire school community came together to celebrate the International Day of Peace.

Established by the United Nations in 1981, the International Day of Peace is observed each year on September 21 and is dedicated to strengthening the ideals of peace around the world. This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” was a perfect fit for a celebration that showed our students that peace isn’t just a big idea. It starts with each of us and the choices we make every day.
Music was part of the celebration from the very beginning. The sound of bagpipes welcomed students to the all-school gathering and set the stage for a morning filled with music, poetry, stories, languages, and plenty of joyful moments.

Our Maternelle students explored what peace means to them, creating posters about what peace looks like at home, at school, and in the world. Their ideas were thoughtful, sweet, and a wonderful reminder that you are never too young to think about how you can make your corner of the world a little more peaceful.

Lower School students shared poems about peace in the languages they speak at home, bringing in the theme to invest in peace here and everywhere in life. Hearing so many languages and voices come together was a pretty perfect representation of French International.

Our librarian, John, shared books about peace and the ways stories can help us understand experiences beyond our own, find common ground, and see the world from another perspective.
And the music kept coming!

Our visiting Middle School students from Chile shared "Color Esperanza" by Diego Torres, a lively song that the crowd loved, followed by our Middle School choir singing “All You Need Is Love” and “Give Peace a Chance.” By that point, the message of peace was being fully embraced!

To close out the celebration, Estelle and Nura brought the house down with a powerful performance of “Asimbonanga.” Written during South Africa’s apartheid era as a tribute to Nelson Mandela while he was imprisoned, the song became an anthem of hope and unity. Hearing it performed for our entire school community was an especially moving reminder of the enduring desire to connect, heal, and work toward a more peaceful and just world.

From bagpipes to poetry, from picture books to posters, and from the many languages spoken by our students to voices raised together in song, Peace Day was a beautiful reflection of who we are as a school. It was also a joyful reminder that peace isn’t something we celebrate just once a year. It is something we practice, nurture, and build together every day at French International.