Herkimer students created hundreds of “Pinwheels for Peace” on Friday as part of a worldwide effort to mark Sept. 21 as the International Day of Peace.
Students in elementary and middle school grades had the opportunity to create their own pinwheel during class, and some high school students chose to join the effort as well. At the high school, students also joined together to stand in the shape of a peace symbol to mark the occasion.
“It is our hope that through the Pinwheels for Peace project, we can make a public visual statement about our feelings about war/ peace/ tolerance/ cooperation/ harmony/ unity and, in some way, maybe, awaken the public and let them know what we are thinking,” organizers of the international event said on their website.
“The pinwheel is a way for students to express their feelings without having to verbalize it,” high school art teacher Heather McCutcheon explained.
McCutcheon said that more than 300 pinwheels were made by Herkimer Elementary students, and more than 500 pinwheels were made by Herkimer Jr./Sr. High students.
Junior high students worked on their projects during the first Art Club meeting, creating a poster to celebrate the day. A variety of templates, including peace signs and doves were available.
Mrs. Zorn showed students examples of finished posters, and demonstrated how to use the materials available to them, including a variety of markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Once students were finished, they were able to display their poster in the upstairs lobby, alongside the Pinwheels for Peace created in Art and Advisement classes.
“This installation should serve as a powerful message to the school community that peace is important,” McCutcheon said.