Students plant 'Pinwheels for Peace'

Students at St. Paul School joined millions who desire peace in our world by planting
Pinwheels for Peace in observance of the International Day of Peace on September 21. The ceremony at St. Paul followed the 8:30 a.m. Student Mass on Friday.

Students created the pinwheels and wrote their thoughts about "war and peace, tolerance and living in harmony with others" on one side. They drew and painted the other side to visually express their feelings.

More than 200 pinwheels were planted around the peace pole in the yard in front of the Parish Activity Center.

The spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the country, the world!

Fr. Ralph Thomas, assisted by Deacon Frank :Lonteen and Grade 8 student Gabrielle Kapper, provided prayers for peace. Music director Tim Longfellow lead singing of “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and the Prayer of St. Francis was said.

The project was coordinated by kindergarten teacher Mrs. Debbie Dodson and Grade 4 teacher Mrs. Janet Hazlett. This is the third year for the program at St. Paul.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, who teach at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. The project was quickly embraced by millions of art teachers, teachers, parents, children and adults who desire peace in our world.

Click on the headline to see more photos of the observance.

For more information on the project, you also can go to

http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com