Palos East and West Schools Plant Pinwheels For Peace

If you happened to be driving past or Schools last Wednesday morning, you probably wondered why children were outside waving pinwheels. Students were participating in Pinwheels for Peace, an annual art and literacy program coordinated with International Peace Day by “planting” their custom designed pinwheels with messages of peace in front of Palos East and West schools.

During art class, students created pinwheels by cutting out paper templates and writing their thoughts about war and peace, tolerance, or living in harmony with others on one side; on the reverse side, they colored and decorated the pinwheels to visually express their feelings. 

The students “planted” their assembled creations in front of school on International Peace Day.

It is estimated that on International Peace Day, September 21, there were 3.5 million pinwheels were spinning in over 3,000 locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. 

Art Teacher, Linda Frigo, locally coordinated Pinwheels for Peace. The non-political project is intended to remind students that peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, but can relate to violence and intolerance in daily life, or simply peace of mind.

Submitted by District 118