Cozy Lake School Spins Pinwheels for Peace

In honor of the Sept. 21 International Day of Peace, students at Cozy Lake Elementary School in Jefferson participated in creating Pinwheels for Peace.  

Children across the planet create pinwheels to express their wishes for peace, and that activity has been embraced as a perfect one for schoolchildren to show off their creativity, as the pinwheel has come to symbolize the simplicity of peace and love.  

Cozy Lake art teacher Jennifer-Taymayne-Hettema said the pinwheel is a great metaphor for the way in which people live today. Each pinwheel, she pointed out, spins quietly on its own at the same time as the others in the circle, but in its own way. The teacher said the pinwheel project was tied into a unit on symbolism where students were challenged to think of symbols to represent peace, other than the ubiquitous peace sign first used by pacifist Bertrand Russell and his Committee for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958, according to peace historian Carl Bunin of PeaceButtons.info.   

Taymayne- Hettemal said the children came up with great ideas, designing their pinwheels with suns, flowers, hearts and sign language.

During the celebration, according to school counselor Jennifer Markowick said students traveled between peace-focused centers where they sang songs, made their own stress balls, played a cooperation game, learned to meditate, practiced yoga and practiced sun salutations in the bright outdoors.