As part of International Peace Day, Harrisonburg High School participated in the Pinwheels for Peace program. The program is simple: first you write about peace or your definition of peace on one side of a sheet of paper, then decorate the other side, and finally fold it up into a pinwheel and place it with the other pinwheels. The Pinwheels for Peace program was started in a high school in Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express themselves about what is going on around them. Our school is joining schools around the world in joining in Pinwheels for Peace program.

Peace has it’s own definition for many people, which is why it’s great to see student’s defining peace in their own words on the pinwheels.

“The pinwheels show how much peace to us,” says Victoria Shindyapin.

The pinwheels are also a symbolism of peace, because when you think of pinwheels you ussually think of a childhood toy when everything was peaceful.

“The pinwheels help spread peace by what we write on them and how our school cares about them,” says Shindyapin. The pinwheels are a way of written expression and creative expression about peace.

Our school learned about pinwheels for peace through Ms. Brooks, who found the website. Mrs.Shradley-Horst said that the high school decided to do the program because it’s always looking for ways to connect the high school and the world and it thought peace was a good way. The pinwheels also help promote peace by reminding people who see them of it.

“We can promote peace by your inward and outward reactions to circumstances towards other people.” says Shradley-Horst.

The project also makes students think of their own definition of peace. Hannah Purcell said she got inspired by things she wished were going on in the world, peace-wise. We as a student body can think about peace every time we pass the pinwheels in the hall.The pinwheels are located in the display at the library.