St. Benedict School Imagines "Whirled Peace"

In today’s world, peace needs to become more than just a word. On September 21, 2014, St. Benedict School of Holmdel, New Jersey plans to take part in an International art and literacy project, Pinwheels for Peace by “planting” pinwheels with messages of peace at St. Benedict School located at 165 Bethany Road in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, of Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. In the first year, groups in over 1,325 locations throughout the world were spinning pinwheels on September 21st - there were approximately 500,000 pinwheels spinning throughout the world. Last year (year 9), 2013, over 4.5 million pinwheels were spinning in over 3,500 locations, including the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Middle East, Africa and South America. Locally, Ms. Mary Ellen Lilly, principal, and Mrs. Joann Mertz, the art teacher, of St. Benedict School will be coordinating the Pinwheels for Peace project this year.

This project is non-political – peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind. To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: “a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.”

The entire school body of St. Benedict School, grades Kindergarten through 8th grade, will create pinwheels, pinwheels of all different thoughts and expressions – as part of the creation process, the students will write their thoughts about “war and peace, tolerance, living in harmony with others” on one side. On the other side, they will draw and color various designs to visually express their feelings. The students will assemble these pinwheels and in celebration of International Day of Peace they will “plant” their pinwheels as a public statement and art exhibit.

For St. Benedict School, the installation is planned for Thursday, 9/18, where Mrs. Mertz and her 8th grade class will outline a huge peace sign on the lawn out front of the school and fill it in with the pinwheels. On Friday, 9/19, the entire school will go outside and circle the peace sign for a short prayer service. In school next week, all students in grades K-8 will also sign the school bulletin board in the foyer pledging to “let peace begin with me.”

On September 21st keep a lookout for the pinwheels – the spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the country and the world!

For more information, go to http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com.

St. Benedict Catholic Church and School

165 Bethany Road

Holmdel, NJ 07733​​

www.stbenedictnj.org