HBE imagines whirled peace
School participates in Pinwheels for Peace
Program
HBE "Give Peace a Chance" photo featured
in the Record.
 Hamilton
Bicentennial Elementary School did something special this year
to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21. As
participants in the Pinwheels for Peace Project, the entire
school formed a giant, colorful peace sign on the back lawn.
Each of the students in grades K-6 held a pinwheel peace pop
they made as part of their school’s character education program.
 Pinwheels
for Peace is an art project started in 2005 by two high school
art teachers in Florida as a way for students to express their
feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives.
Their project was quickly embraced, not by just their community,
but by millions of art teachers, teachers, parents, children
around the world. In the past seven years, the Pinwheels for
Peach project has grown from 500,000 pinwheels planted the first
year, to three
and a half million pinwheels spinning in 2011 in over 3,500
locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia,
Canada, the Middle East, Africa and South America.
 All
of the HBE students in grades K-6 created either a pinwheel or a
peace pop. Many were patriotic - made to look like an American
flag or painted red, white and blue. Others were
brightly-colored or tie dyed. All provided the students with the
opportunity to express their feelings about peace.
The project was coordinated by school social worker Diane
Burns-Dobson and guidance counselor Erin Bratton
as part of the HBE character education program. Prior to event,
both counselors talked to all of the classes about the concepts
of peace, harmony and tolerance; the history behind
International Peace Day; and individuals such as Martin Luther
King, Jr. who worked hard to bring about peace. They also
provided the students about ways they can help create harmony
here in their own community and school.
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