Throughout The Priory's 60-year history in Quebec, the school has been at the forefront of innovative ideas and novel practices. The first occasion was in 1947 with the creation of a co-educational English private school founded on Catholic traditions. Co-education was not de rigueur at the time, and the two founders, Mrs. Ballantyne and Mrs. Howlett, were deemed “crazy maverick females, whose time had definitely not come!” Time certainly proved their critics wrong. In 2000, under principal John Marinelli’s direction, The Priory took the initiative and organized the first Montreal Regional Heritage Fair, which continues to this day.

During the past year, with Mrs. Deborah Heuff at the helm, The Priory once again took on a new venture—becoming the first private school in Montreal designated a member of Peaceful Schools International. To become a peaceful school, a number of criteria must be met. The school must have a safe, inviting climate where parents, students and staff work together as a team. In such an environment, students are encouraged to make choices and to be responsible for their actions, to be open-minded and accepting of others who may be different, and to learn ways to deal with conflict in a non-violent manner. All of this embodies The Priory.

With the words from the traditional hymn in mind—“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me”—Priory teachers and students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 began their own “peaceful journey,” concentrating on developing individual inner peace through activities that emphasized expressing feelings and emotions as well as finding positive solutions to problems. Lessons in co-operation, respecting differences, communicating effectively in a positive manner, and resolving conflict creatively and non-violently all figured into The Priory Peace Project.

The culmination of this undertaking took place on June 4th, with a special Assembly. Mrs. Heuff read the students the age-old story of Stone Soup, about how a community becomes stronger by sharing with each other and working together. At the end of the story, each member of The Priory Family was given a stone to place in a freshly cemented mandala circle waiting for them outside. This Peace Circle opened onto a Friendship Garden planted by the Grade 3 class. After reciting “The Priory Peace Pledge,” the students looked on proudly as the Peaceful Schools International flag was slowly raised over their school.

Calling ourselves a “Peaceful School” is not a fait accompli just because we met the criteria established by Peaceful Schools International; rather, it is an ongoing process where peace must be taught, modeled and worked at. The Priory Peace Circle and Friendship Garden are only the beginning and serve as reminders of what we have accomplished and what we need to strive for.

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Article submitted by Debra Merritt, The Priory School