Aurora – Hundreds of paper pinwheels spun on the front lawn of Vassar Elementary School on Wednesday, each of them decorated with messages of peace.
“I think it means love and caring,” said Kamren Fawcett, 7.
The Vassar second-grader was one of 250 students and teachers at the school who crafted the pinwheels in recognition of International Day of Peace, celebrated annually on Sept. 21.
This year’s “Pinwheels for Peace” project was started by two Florida teachers who wanted their students to express their feelings about the world and their lives through art.
“I wanted to think how we can use art as a soft approach to the idea of peace,” said Vassar art teacher Thad McCauley.
The students in his art classes first brainstormed about the project, then wrote their definitions of peace before starting.
Students at Kenton and Sable elementary schools in Aurora also participated in the pinwheel project.
The pinwheels were drawn or painted by students expressing their thoughts about “war, peace, tolerance and living with others” on one side and painting the other side to visually express their feelings.
The pinwheels were made with sturdy construction paper, and pencils were used as sticks. A black peace-emblem sticker decorated the center.
Messages included “Help people,” “Stop violence,” “God bless America” and “I love my family.”
A teacher’s pink pinwheel, bearing the name Cindy, had silver stars and the messages “Military will return home to USA,” “Peace throughout the world” and “Make peace in Iraq.”
More than 1,300 schools participated in the U.S. as well as more schools in Europe, Canada, South America, the Philippines, Japan, Africa and the Middle East, according to organizers.
Next year, the sculptures will be welcomed again at Vassar.
“If you’re just talking about it, it wouldn’t have that much of an impact,” said McCauley.
Staff writer Annette Espinoza can be reached at 303-820-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com.
