South Orangetown Central School District

As part of an annual tradition started by William O. Schaefer Elementary School Art Teacher Liz Piteo, SOCSD celebrated International Peace Day by creating school-wide art installations. The art installation is part of the Pinwheels for Peace global art and literacy project, which was first celebrated at WOS in 2016 and now all buildings participate.

Since the beginning of the school year, art classes at each school created pinwheels with images and messages of peace to be displayed outside of each building. During art class, students learned about art installations and how by working together, their individual pinwheels created one whole project. Students also learned about the meaning and importance of peace through class discussions and readings.

As WOS students visited the art installation and “planted” their pinwheels outside of their school yesterday, students were asked “What does peace mean?” Students answered by saying peace means, “everybody is loved,” “everybody is treated equally,” and “we are kind to one another and we make sure the world is balanced and fair.” Piteo said, “These are the ways that we show one another how to be peaceful and grow up to be peaceful citizens.”

Pinwheels for peace project at WOS