On February 22nd 2024 Ms Choudhry and the RE ambassadors at Clifton School were invited by Rotherham Faith Leaders and Green Spaces to join them in support of world peace by planting an Oak Tree at Clifton Park.
We arrived at the park and were greeted by Dave Homer who is a retired RE teacher and is a local Buddhist faith leader, we were really excited to be meeting members of so many different religions. We helped the Mayor of Rotherham and other faith leaders plant the tree, we then planted some snow drops around the tree, this was really special as every year the flowers will bloom and it will mark our contribution and also help us remember where we planted the tree.
We then held a one-minute silence to remember those affected by conflict and in need of peace. The Rabbi then shared some words that we all thought were very interesting. He explained how planting the tree was very symbolic of peace and closely connected with Judaism because the roots are what keep us grounded and safe when the “winds are strong”, meaning when we might be experiencing difficulty, the trunk is our support and the fruit, crop that we get from the branches of the tree shows what can happen when we support each other and remain strong. This was a teaching we all agreed we would remember as it reminded us of some of the values of the Clifton Way such as ‘We are nice to people’.
After we planted the tree we returned to the bandstand and shared our PEACE collage, we were asked to recite the poem we had chosen to share. This was a poem Phaozeyat and Justina chose. They felt it showed empathy and also reminded us to be kind and considerate. The poem is called “Think of Others” by Mahmoud Darwish. Phaozeyat and Justina recited this poem and people praised them for their choice and courage.
Following this the RE Ambassadors then spoke with the local faith leaders, we especially enjoyed our discussion with Trisha Williams a Bahai faith leader. We learnt so much about her faith and from her experiences. We got to speak with the Rabbi too who said as a school we were welcome to visit the synagogue.
Members of Clifton Park gave us a Rowan Tree to plant at school, so when we got back Ms Choudhry found a plant pot in the garden, some compost and we planted the tree straight away. We decided it symbolised peace, equality, diversity, inclusivity, love, support, respect, multiculturalism and coexistence.
We are now looking forward to watching the trees grow both at Clifton Park and also at our school.
Written by Phaozeyat, Rabia, Tino, Mohammed, Faizaan and Lilly – Clifton RE Ambassadors.
