Las Animas Elementary School students held colorful, homemade
pinwheels high in the air and sent messages of peace worldwide.
Las Animas Elementary School students held colorful, homemade pinwheels high in the air and sent messages of peace worldwide.
For the second year in a row, Las Animas students participated in the United Nations’ “Pinwheels for Peace” program. Each student created a colorful pinwheel, using a paper cut out downloaded from the U.N. Web site. Students then wrote or drew their wishes for world peace on the pinwheels.
Monday afternoon, as winds picked up, students marched around the school grounds. Around the world, other schools were marching at the same time. The wind carried their messages of peace worldwide, interweaving them all together, said Diana Torres, a Las Animas parent.
“These children represent our best hope for world peace,” said another parent, teary-eyed as the wind made the pinwheels spin quickly. The students held the pinwheels as high as they could, trying to make them spin faster.
Dressed in clothing representing their cultural heritage, children wearing lederhosen, kimonos, flamenco dresses and mariachi hats and pants marched in unison.
“When we share our culture and the peace in our hearts, we become more inclusive of others that are different,” Principal Silvia Reyes said. “As we learn to accept differences and learn from others, we become better people. We all become more empathetic, more caring, more respectful and better citizens. We are models of behavior. These students can make a difference in our world, making it a better, more peaceful place to live.”
The International Day of Culture and Peace is part of a month-long multicultural study program at Las Animas. Each class was assigned a different country to research. Oct. 8, students will tour different classrooms, viewing the country displays. Oct. 10, the school will host a family multicultural night with potluck foods from around the world and student cultural performances.
Since its inception three years ago, the U.N. “Pinwheels for Peace Day” celebration has grown from 500,000 students to 1.2 million students, “whispering messages of peace on the wind around the world,” Torres said.
