Art in Our Schools: Pinwheels for Peace
Ilana Israel Samuels |  May 19, 2023 

One day in early March 2023, Chris, a staff member at the Contra Costa County Office of Education, posted on Instagram and tagged SRVUSD. He wrote on his post, “Thank you to all of the students at Coyote Creek Elementary and staff who helped bring this wonderful work to the world in honor of International Peace Day.” We reached out to him and he was so happy to share more with us! Chris was at his office, and went into the stairwell and saw an incredible array of beautiful pinwheels. He shared that the display was filled with peace, love and joy, and really made a positive impact on his day. So we reached out to Principal Bill Alpert at Coyote Creek to learn more! 

What we learned is that each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21st. This school year, Coyote Creek Elementary students honored this day by creating spinning pinwheels. The objective was to connect with students around the globe by sending out peace messages to the world.

Principal Bill Alpert shared that “our students were so excited for this project. It was a unique and engaging art activity, which connected students to the important concepts of being kind to others and taking care of our world.”

Students constructed their individual pinwheels and decorated them with symbols of peace and their wishes for a brighter future. On September 21, 2022, over 700 pinwheels were installed throughout the school grounds at Coyote Creek in honor of this day. The art installation was then transported and displayed at the Contra Costa County Office of Education (CCCOE) to highlight the students’ amazing pieces of art.

Thank you, Chris at the CCCOE for taking a moment to notice and appreciate our students’ hard work!