Students plant pinwheels for peace

KENDALL PARK — On Peace Day, Sept. 21, pre-K through 8th graders at the St. Augustine of Canterbury School planted the small pinwheels they crafted in art class, to spread messages of “Whirled” peace throughout the country and the world.

“Pinwheels for Peace,” a non-political art and literacy project launched more than 13-years ago by two high school art teachers in Florida seemed to dovetail nicely with the Catholic schools mission of community outreach. So, for the first time this year, the school conducted a Morning Prayer service with songs. It included planting the symbolic pinwheels in a Circle of Peace on school grounds.

In silence, everyone gathered together under the sun for the half-hour ceremony, in a “sort of meditation,” said Art Teacher Christine Minsavage, explaining that part of the kids’ demonstration of respect was simply realizing what was going on and being said or sung.

Since the beginning of the school year, while students were busy drawing and coloring the pinwheels during weekly art classes, as well as writing messages of peace on one side of their creations, she recalled telling them that she wanted the event to take place in the morning.

“‘Why is it a big deal that we are going to put these out on the lawn?’” she asked some of her students as they moved their pinwheels to the hallway ahead of the planting ceremony.  

“So that people going to 9:00 a.m. mass might ask, ‘Hey what’s going on there?’” she told the kids, she said.  

The art teacher also conveyed the origin of the project, she said, highlighting what it meant “globally.” She told students: “‘As artists, (you) are making a visual statement to the world.’”

While the final pinwheel assembly took place in the days just ahead of the service, as a creative test, many students held them in front of the air conditioner to see them spin as the excitement grew.

“They couldn’t wait to plant them,” said Minsavage, noting the kids had become fully absorbed in crafting the pinwheels.

She touched on the visual nature of the pinwheels as well -- the association with inner calmness and freedom, “like the wind,” and said she liked the way the kids wished each other piece during the ceremony, same as they do during mass.

“They fly in the wind and (represent) childhood innocence and are simple to make,” added Minsavage.

Though the students united with each other in serenity, the St. Augustine of Canterbury School wants students to understand the importance of uniting with people around the world, said Religion Teacher, Colleen Paras.

“Amid so much going on in the world (the school hopes, through awareness and mindfulness), students could bring that in such a way as to seek peace for themselves and to seek peace for the world around us, and unite with our brothers and sisters who are suffering,” said Paras.

“Being a Catholic school, we pray often,” said Paras. “The kids understand the discipline of prayer.”

It was beautiful to watch the classes silently come up and put their pinwheels in the ground, added Paras.

“To have four or five grade levels do that in quiet – you can tell it’s resonating with them. It’s something that they are internalizing, and really expressing through the symbolism,” said Paras. “It was really nice; they did a great job.”

Though they no longer track the number of pinwheels spinning around the world, it was probably more than 5 million the last time they tallied data, explained Ann T. Ayers, one of the art teachers who began the Pinwheels for Peace project in 2005, along with Eileen McMillan.

“Most organizations and locations continue to participate in the project, year after year, and some schools use it as a kickoff for anti-bullying campaigns,” said Ayers.

What’s more, some 150 new locations were added to the map on September 21, according to Ayers.

“The project isn’t about war, it’s about having a more peaceful life and our desire for less conflict in our lives,” added Ayers.

“We find that children (in particular) are so open and honest about their wishes, hopes, and dreams for a better world and life. We hope the project brings an awareness about peace and the need to strive for a more tolerant life.”  

They also participate in “Peace One Day,” as well as the United Nations Peace Initiative, said Ayers.  

“The students are really the leaders of the future; they have the foundation and are the ones who are going to have to build on it,” said Vice Principal/Social Studies Teacher, Edward Modzelwski.

“I think it’s important that the kids understand that there’s something greater than themselves here,” Modzelwski said. “If we as educators can plant those seeds in our children the seeds will eventually germinate. The students can (then) pass it on to somebody else, and so on.”

The golden rule for teachers? According to Modzelwski: “If you reach one kid and put that smile on their face you’ve done your job for that day.”