Neighborhood News: Pinwheels for peace

Victory Elementary School art teacher Lynne Portch is the only one who has done it thus far, and the kids love it. It's the Pinwheels for Peace project.

The art itself is relatively simple. Students construct and decorate paper pinwheels with a different color representing each grade.

It's the significance of the project that makes it meaningful.

"It spins, so you're sending out your message ... sending your good hopes, good thoughts out," Portch said of the pinwheels.

The children "planted" their pinwheels in pots and placed the pots in front of the school earlier this month. At the end of the day, the pinwheels were moved to the library to be on display.

Portch launched the lesson plan after discovering an article about art teachers in different schools who put up pinwheels for the International Day of Peace.

Those teachers, Portch explained, focused more on world peace.

But she wanted a more precise target for her students, so she decided to focus on the school community.

"I think it really needs to start smaller for them," she said.

To prepare for the program, Portch first talked to the guidance counselors. She then researched books describing ways to make peace.

Next, she began a class discussion on being productive art students.

"How are you going to help your neighbor in the art room?" she asked. "How can we create peace in the classroom?"

The students then listed their ideas of peace.

"They were coming up with some really great things," Portch said. "By the end, every-body seemed to get the concept."

The idea, Portch said, was this: "No matter where you are, you're creating a place that's better for all of us."

Kindergarteners brainstormed ideas such as, "You're not going to color your neighbor," and "You're not going to put gum in someone's hair."

Older children listed things such as sharing crayons, being respectful, working together and using good manners.

Bringing a pot outside the school, Jacob Cleveland, a third-grader in Jill Fair's class, said creating peace is "sort of like sharing, caring. Be responsible, help the Earth."

Jordyn Turner, also in Fair's class, said she made her pinwheel "for peace and respect ... being responsible, sharing caring ... that stuff."

Portch said she most enjoys seeing the kids make the connections.

Her pupils' favorite part?

Blowing the pinwheels, of course.