It was a windy, perfect day for Clearview’s 7th annual Pinwheels for Peace celebration, held in conjunction with International Day of Peace last week.

 

Pinwheels for Peace is an international art and literacy project begun in 2005 by two art teachers as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s happening in their lives and the world around them. 

 

Students expressed their thoughts about peace by writing statements and creating designs on the pinwheels. On International Day of Peace, the pinwheels are “planted” outside as a public statement and art exhibit worldwide. 

 

While each grade works on a peace project for their first art project of the year in teacher Kathy Gerdts-Senger’s classroom, it’s the third graders who create the pinwheels each year. On International Day of Peace, they parade outside to the school’s front lawn, where they “plant” their pinwheels in the shape of a peace symbol.

 

Led by music teacher Karen Ingeman on guitar, the third graders sang songs about peace and Gerdts-Senger handed out certificates of thanks to their teachers for participating in the project.

 

To the excitement of the students, Jim Dank released doves and homing pigeons, which he raises, in another symbol of peace. The birds circled the sky before heading back to their home ten miles away.

 

The International Day of Peace, also known as Peace Day, was begun by the United Nations in 1981, which declared Sept. 21 as a day devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. Each year, millions of people across the world take part in activities to celebrate peace and what it means to them.