Pinwheel project promotes campus tranquility
Published 5:00 am Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Lipsey Middle School students made a statement for peace Mondayas part of an art and literacy project.
Last week, students wrote their thoughts about “peace and livingin harmony with others” in an essay and then wrote, on the backs ofpinwheels, what they can do to ensure Lipsey maintains a peacefulenvironment. The fronts of the pinwheels were used for the studentsto express their feelings in art.
On Monday, students planted their pinwheels at several locationson campus to create a testimony in art towards peace.
Student Jocquez Kalili said his pinwheel expressed his personalvow not to break the tranquility of the campus.
“I won’t be mean or disobey school rules,” he said. “I will keephands, feet and all objects to myself.”
Brady Crane said he promised to be nice, obey all rules, striveto do his best in all things and report bullying.
Sally Ogden, art teacher at Lipsey, started the project and saidshe felt it would be a good project to emphasize the school’srecent lesson on controlling bullies.
“This project is non-political,” she said. “Peace doesn’tnecessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war; it canbe related to violence and intolerance in our daily lives, to peaceof mind.”
Audrey Montalvo, who does not attend art class and therefore didnot participate in the project, said she thought the project wasnice and would help spread the message that people have to striveto maintain the peace. Of course, it was the simple beauty of theproject that got her attention.
“I think they look pretty out here,” she said. “They lookpeaceful.”
The pinwheels will remain on campus all week if the weatherallows it, Ogden said.