Where to even begin?

Lots of exciting stuff is happening hear in St. Louis. At the St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center the community garden has benefited from some serious rain and is producing substantial yields. Quite a few classes have made it out to the garden to harvest their crops. Mustard Greens are the most recent crop to become mature. Delicious dishes of greens and spinach have been prepared by several teachers and members of the fifth and sixth grades at Columbia Elementary have consumed more hot sauce then one would believe was humanly possible. Soon, lettuce will be ready for students to make salads. Currently the garden is cursed with a delightful problem: an overabundance of food.

Restorative Talking Circles continue to be active at Long Middle School though the hectic end of the year schedule has proven to be a challenge. As part of a Restorative Justice curriculum which was implemented by Community Conflict Services at Long Middle school students experience a weekly talking circle in which students sit in a circle with a facilitator and have discussions using a talking piece to give all students a chance to contribute. Community Conflict Services, a group of organization committed to promoting restorative justice practices in St. Louis, continues to explore ways to strengthen and expand its current school peace programs. The St. Louis Mennonite Peace Center staff will continue to be an active member of Community Conflict Service in the coming year.

As always we as a unit remain thankful for all the special connections we have made throughout this year. It has been a truly wonderful year and we continue to be blessed by the support of friends and family both near and far. Thank you and may God continue to bless the United States.