San Leandro High School, March 31, 2010--Student observance for a Season of Service, Period of Peace, which starts from Martin Luther King’s Birthday in February and ends on Cesar Chavez day in March has enabled San Leandro High School to bridge communication gaps through service learning projects (Click here to view a list of projects). Students continue to weave a school culture of respect and understanding.  

 

A press conference culminated the Season of Service, Period of Peace and brought together local Education Board, City Council members, parents and community.  SLHS students captivated the audience with a multimedia presentation portraying the life of Cesar Chavez and his teachings (click to view video).  Student leaders held a panel discussion about their work to promote peace at the school.

 

Anthony Chavez, grandson of Cesar Chavez provided an inspirational keynote address, and local dignitaries* expressed their appreciation and handed out award recognitions for the hard work and perseverance the students have consistently demonstrated over the last two years as during the “Season of Service, Period of Peace”. 

 

 

*Dignitaries:

Sheila Jordan, Superintendent of Alameda County Schools

Cindy Cathey, Superintendent, San Leandro USD

Felix Elizalde, Alameda County Board of Education Trustee

Diana Prola, San Leandro USD Board of Education Trustee

Carmen Sullivan, San Leandro USD Board of Education Trustee

Jim Prola, San Leandro City Council

Anthony Chavez, grandson of Cesar Chavez

"Season of service changed me because,until I joined the Business Academy and we participated in Season of Service, I had no idea what a big issue, and how harmful violence was.

Business Academy’s goal was to write poems that spoke out against violence to our community. We all chose different and specific forms of violence because it’s such a big topic that we wanted to tackle one by one. We know violence can’t be defeated all at once, so we all took on different parts of it. When we presented our poems to the community, the reactions we got from all those people was amazing, and we knew we had their support. Once I heard everyone's poems it made me realize that everything in this world isn’t rainbows and lollipops, this world is filled with unnecessary violence that needs to stop.

After being a part of this experience I now know that violence is all around us and it makes me proud of myself, and especially my classmates in Business Academy and other organizations that participated in this, because we were all open minded and chose to speak out against something in our community and in this world that affects us.

To be honest,  if I wasn’t in the Business Academy I most likely wouldn’t have chosen on my own to join a public poetry reading to speak out against violence. The beautiful thing about this is that we all came united to stand up for something we believe in. I’m proud that San Leandro High decided to make a difference and I believe that we are heroes in our own way. Even though we may not make it to the hero book hall of fame, or have a holiday named after us, as long as we know we impacted society in a good way, that’s all that matters. After all,  peace is just a word until we make it happen."

- Alejandra Bonilla