Highland Middle School Students to Plant 1,000 Pinwheels for Peace in School's Front Lawn

Highland Middle School students will plant pinwheels on the school’s front lawn on Wednesday, Sept. 21, as part of a Pinwheels for Peace project, according to a District 70 news release.

This is the sixth year students have participated in the project under the direction of Highland art teacher Cindi Sartain. Students created the pinwheels throughout the day during their art classes. The school is located at 310 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville.

Students are expected to “plant” a pinwheel in front of the school at 8 a.m.

"The students will create an outdoor sculpture using pinwheels they made,” Sartain said.

More than 1,000 pinwheels will be planted in front of the school. The International Day of Peace this year is Sept. 21, according to the news release.

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

According to the Pinwheels for Peace website, about 500,000 pinwheels were planted in 2005. That grew to about 3.5 million three years ago when Highland Middle School joined the project.

Photo credit: District 70 Facebook page