The Peace Rose at GDS and the Development of Empathy

Educators at Georgetown Day School have long looked to other schools for tools and approaches to teaching and learning, continually evolving their practice in pursuit of excellence.

When it came to conflict resolution for young children, the idea of the Peace Rose was first introduced around 1999 to 2000 in the kindergarten classroom of Joanna Phinney and Elaine Ogden.

Deeply tied to Montessori principles of empathy and community, values shared by GDS, the Peace Rose helps young children work through disagreements. Rather than relying on adult intervention, students are given responsibility for constructively resolving their own conflicts. To give each child time and space to process emotions and express feelings, an object such as the Peace Rose guides the conversation. One child holds the rose and speaks, while the other listens attentively. When the first child finishes, the rose is passed to the other. This process ensures that both children feel heard and respected, while encouraging the healthy practice of sharing feelings instead of suppressing them.

As Bradford Ellison ’12 recalled, “We resolved conflicts with the Peace Rose, a plastic red rose students passed back and forth, allowing only the rose holder to speak.” But at GDS, the Peace Rose required more than a quick apology. Its greatest demand was active listening and an honest effort to understand how one’s actions affected classmates. Ellison shared that this early experience laid a foundation for his continued commitment to mutual respect within the GDS community and beyond, a value he carried with him well after his years at the school.

Over time, GDS continued to deepen its emphasis on empathy as a core element of early development. Today, second graders participate in the Roots of Empathy program, in which students connect with a baby and their family through monthly visits over the course of the year. By observing the infant-parent relationship, students have the opportunity to build emotional literacy, social awareness, and empathy, all central to our school’s social-emotional learning goals.

This intentional focus on empathy continues throughout the Lower School years. In third grade, students explore the theme of immigration. Through classroom study and projects such as the Third Grade Immigration Project, in which students interview first-generation immigrants within the GDS community, students expand their conceptions and applications of empathy and social awareness. They also engage in hands-on learning with organizations like Mary’s Center, where they learn about services provided to the DC immigrant community and participate in service projects such as school supply drives. These experiences allow students to connect academic learning with real human experiences and community needs, further deepening empathy and emotional understanding.

By fourth grade, this work expands into leadership development through LEAD, Leading with Empathy, Acting with compassion, and Demonstrating care. This focus is woven into classroom activities and lessons designed to help students practice leadership skills appropriate for their age, such as empathy, collaboration, and caring for others. Counselors also help develop and implement training and activities for students to act as leaders within the greater Lower School community. There are celebrations and reflections on leadership qualities students have developed, such as the “4th Grade: Leading with Kindness” moment that highlights how students apply leadership through kindness, community engagement, and initiative. (This year, students also participated in the Great Kindness Challenge, a global, week-long event in which students from Pre-K -12 perform many acts of kindness, and in which each day of the week, a different aspect of kindness is highlighted, in order to help students build healthy, supportive relationships.)

Leadership at GDS is not confined to isolated activities. It is embedded in the broader social emotional-learning approach, where students build self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and strong relationships. From the Peace Rose in kindergarten to leadership grounded in compassion in the fourth grade, GDS intentionally nurtures empathy as a lifelong skill, shaping students who listen deeply, act thoughtfully, and contribute meaningfully to their communities, from early childhood onward.