Oakhurst Elementary School Fort Worth Independent School District A SYMBOL OF PEACE: THE OAKHURST ELEMENTARY JAPANESE PEACE GARDEN Inspired by the 1996 Sun and Star Festival that immersed Fort Worth and Dallas students in the culture and traditions of Japan, Oakhurst Elementary students and the Oakhurst community, under the direction of art specialist Elizabeth Willett, have built their own Japanese Peace Garden. Located in an open courtyard behind the school, what was once a 60' x 60' area of little more than asphalt and concrete is now transposed into an inviting, relaxing space. The almost completed garden showcases stone, wood, and brick pathways that meander through the tranquil place. Visitors enter through Japanese gates and walk paths that take them over a dry stream, beside a turtle garden, near a dry waterfall, and into a Japanese teahouse. The Japanese Peace Garden at Oakhurst Elementary was launched when architect Albert Komatsu, designer of the Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, donated plans. Additionally, the Fort Worth Sun and Star Festival provided a grant to start construction. Elizabeth began a grassroots campaign at the school where each Friday students could purchase pickles or candy with the profits going into construction coffers. To further bolster the construction through donation of materials and labor, Elizabeth sent a flier announcing the intent to build the Oakhurst Japanese Peace Garden. Distributed throughout the neighborhood, the bulletin stated that "Our dream is to honor the contributions of those who have been a part of the Oakhurst community and to promote peace and cultural understanding for our children." This request brought one of the first materials donation: slices of a large tree that needed to be removed from an Oakhurst neighbor's lawn. The slices were later embedded in the ground as a walkway. Hours of volunteer labor also were contributed. Saturday workdays saw the community cleaning and preparing the site for construction of the garden. After much collaborative work, the Oakhurst Elementary Japanese Peace Garden was dedicated June 10, 1998. More than 200 members of the community attended the formal opening ceremonies. Oakhurst Principal, Mrs. Jana Marbut-Ray and Elizabeth greeted guests who entered through a fence decorated by fish kites made by Oakhurst students. Among the many guests in attendance were dignitaries from Nagaoka, Japan, Fort Worth's sister city. The ceremony was also given local newspaper and television coverage. A special dedication ceremony was held later in the fall for students, faculty, and invited guests. Among those in attendance were Mr. and Mrs. Albert Komatsu. Other special guests included personnel from the Fort Worth Independent School District administrative offices. Members of the Fort Worth Japanese Society --- who gave demonstrations of music, calligraphy, origami, and dance --- provided afternoon presentations and activities. A display of dolls, shoes, clothing and other artifacts were exhibited in the Oakhurst library. Every student in the school rotated through each station to learn about the various traditions.