For St. Rose pupils, peace and pinwheels go together
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY SCOTTPILLING staff Fifth-graders at St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold Borough participate in the "Pinwheels for Peace," project by "planting" handmade pinwheels on the school grounds. Pictured are (l-r) Billy Antonides, Francesca Denbigh, Matt McGuinnes and Courtney Thompson.

FREEHOLD - Students at St. Rose of Lima School recently had a chance to express their feelings about what is going on in their world and in their lives.

According to art teacher Patricia Brown, the pupils took part in an international art and literacy project called "Pinwheels for Peace" by "planting" colorful handmade paper pinwheels with messages of peace on the school grounds.

"Pinwheels for Peace" was started by two Florida art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan. It was created to allow pupils to be comfortable in representing their feelings about being safe and comfortable.

Brown said the pinwheel project gives pupils an element of control over their lives by allowing them to express their need for the feeling of being safe in their world and in their own personal lives, whether that takes the form of being free from war, free from fear and anxiety, or free from violence or stress.

St. Rose of Lima fifth-grader, Courtney Thompson, plants a handmade pinwheel in front of her school in Freehold Borough, as part of the "Pinwheels for Peace" project on International Peace Day, Sept. 21.

The St. Rose students assembled their pinwheels and on the International Day of Peace, Sept. 21, planted them as a public statement and an art exhibit.

According to printed material provided by Brown, "the project is nonpolitical - peace doesn't necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind. To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition, 'a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.' "

Information posted on the Internet Web site for "Pinwheels for Peace" states that "today's students are bombarded with television images, video games, and magazine articles and newspapers that give importance to conflict and war. Violence has become commonplace and accepted as part of our society and for some students, it is a way of life."

The goal of the project is to "help students make a public statement about their feelings about war, peace, tolerance, cooperation, harmony, unity and in some way, awaken the public, and let them know what the next generation is thinking."

The pinwheel is a childhood symbol

that reminds people of a time when things were simple, joyful and peaceful, according to the Web site.

St. Rose pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade participated in the pinwheel project, and each child "planted" his or her own pinwheel in front of the school. Bright pink, blue, green and yellow pinwheels lined the South Street side of the school, bringing attention and a flurry of activity as the paper creations spun around in the light breeze.

Pinwheels were of varying shapes and sizes, and progressively became larger as the ages of the children increased, making the landscape of colors look like a garden in a child's storybook.

The pupils were asked to decorate their pinwheels with symbols or designs that signified peace and comfort to them. Many pinwheels were laced with peace symbols, which was a constant sign seen in the 1960s and 1970s. Designs included crayon swirls, checkerboards, stripes and polka dots, as well as drawings of small flowers. Some pinwheels were even decorated with ribbons.

"This is not to just be free from war," Brown said. "It is also to be free from other conflicts and stress. It's a whole day of peace and a feeling of being safe."

Amanda Freyre, 11, of Freehold Borough, created a blue pinwheel with peace signs and flowers. Her wish was that "everyone should have a nice day and no one should fight." She also wants people to feel safe and peaceful inside.

Jack Zuber, 11, of Freehold Township, created an orange pinwheel with peace signs and the word "Love" written around the pinwheel. He said he knows bad things are happening around the world.

"We want people to feel safe, and this is a good way to do it," Jack said.

In summing up the school's participating in the project, Brown said, "We want to make people more aware and have more peace in our world. We want our students to be free from bullying and not feel threatened in any way."

The "Pinwheels for Peace" Web site sums up the project, saying, "Keep a look-out for the pinwheels - the spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the country and the world."