Students take part in Pinwheel for Peace effort

September 22, 2009

PATRICK E. LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

A child's toy and a simple message were the two ingredients of a worldwide effort.

"There shouldn't be fighting or wars," said K'von Tutson-Huddleston, a fifth-grader at George Washington Intermediate Elementary School.

Yesterday, students from George Washington and Harry W. Lockley Kindergarten Center participated in the fifth annual international Pinwheels for Peace.

"Pinwheels are one of the first symbols of childhood," said art teacher Ryan Miller, who organized the project at George Washington.

More than 700 fourth- through sixth-graders wrote poems about peace. Then, using markers, crayons and colored pencils, they created pinwheels. The school's fifth- and sixth-grade students placed their creations in the form of two peace signs in the school's front yard yesterday, while the fourth-graders lined the edge of the yard with their artwork.

"They understand the concept of peace," said Miller, who started the program in the district four years ago. "If they don't at the beginning, then at the end -- through the poems and talking about the project as a group -- they become more aware of what peace actually is."

Pinwheels for Peace is an offshoot of the United Nations' International Day of Peace, which is annually observed Sept. 21.

Sixth-graders Rosa Davies and Alexis Holmes each decorated their pinwheels with peace signs. "We can all come together," Rosa said. K'von highlighted one side of his pinwheel in New Castle's school colors -- black and red -- and the other side with a Christmas theme.

Following George Washington's lead, Lockley kindergarten teachers Chris Ferry, Sue DeRosa and Victoria Bober had their 62 students become involved.

"In our room, we talked about peace and getting along," DeRosa said. "We learned how to use your voice and not your fists to get along peacefully."

In addition to making pinwheels, the students crafted "peace sign" necklaces and engaged in role-playing exercises. Among the lessons taught were being nice, being kind and being helpful.

"All we asked them is, to draw something (on their pinwheels) that would make the world beautiful," Bober said.

Friends holding hands and rainbows were among the themes the children presented.

"They really do understand more than sometimes what you give them credit for," Bober said. "They do know there are wars going on in the world."