During Spirit Week, which began Monday, Sept. 22, students, faculty and staff showed their spirit collectively throughout the week. Each day of the week centered around a particular theme and suggested attire for those who wished to participate in the school-wide event.

On that Monday, we celebrated the International Day of Peace, as the suggested shirt color for the day was white.

Unable to share within this day on the actual day, since it fell on a Sunday this year, we partook in the events a day later.

In conjunction with this, our art instructor, Melissa Beerman, thought that it would be a wonderful idea for everyone in the school to partake in an art installation project, coined Pinwheels for Peace.

Spearheaded by two teachers from Coconut Creek, Fla. in 2005, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan thought that this would be an appropriate way for students to express their feelings about world events, as they placed pinwheels they made into the ground.

During that year, 500,000 pinwheels were planted during the International Day of Peace. Last year, the effort had grown to more than 1 million.

During her art classes, Beerman provided opportunities for all of our students to focus on the meaning of peace. They wrote down their ideas and shared them with their classmates. Beerman displayed these expressions on the walls of our corridors, and various children were chosen to share their ideas over the PA during our morning announcements.

Some thoughts about peace as written by various students are: “Peace is for my Grandma,” “Peace is helping people when they fall down,” “Peace is having kindness in the air,” “Peace Day is lots of colors,” “Peace is seeing a rainbow” and “Peace means love.”

After bringing in an unsharpened pencil from home for a pinwheel stick, each child made his/her own pinwheel in art class.

Various symbols of peace were also discussed, before the children wrote their meaning of peace on their pinwheel petals.

On the Friday before the event, the children's pinwheels were distributed throughout the building in anticipation of Monday's special Peace Day event.

Also on this day, our custodians, Wayne Halsted and Jackie Watkins, painted a colossal peace sign on our front lawn. A diagram was distributed to all teachers in the building, which demonstrated where each class was to position themselves directly on the peace sign, before placing the pinwheels onto the sign.

During the morning of the 22nd, the entire building gathered on the front lawn and took their designated positions on the lawn's peace sign. Principal Tim Cowin led the Pledge of Allegiance. After doing so, Cowin announced that Beerman had recently been awarded the Artsonia Leadership Award for Family and Community Involvement in Arts Education and Technology Integration in the Arts.

Her Web site was the fourth most visited art Web site in New York state. Our congratulations go out to her for her fine work and dedication to our students.

After this announcement, we sang a song that our music instructor, Mary Buchmann, had practiced with our children during their music classes.

The song, “Peace on Earth” by Teresa Jennings, speaks of peace on Earth, goodwill and wishing upon a star. The entire school sang the song together.

Then each grade level was called to set their pinwheels into the ground on the peace sign, before returning to the building.

Another custodian, Charles “Skip” Stearns, and our technology coordinator, Bill Clark, took rooftop photos of the event.

The pinwheels that were placed into the ground undoubtedly formed the shape of a peace sign, and it looked beautiful.

While reflecting on the event, Beerman said, “Peace is something we all yearn for, and I hope that by celebrating Peace Day with our elementary students, we can begin to spread thoughts and feelings of peace throughout our community, country and the entire world.”

On Tuesday, students and adults were encouraged to wear a team jersey of their choice for Team Day. One would have thought that they were either in an NBA, NFL, or MLB store or locker room, as they milled about our building. If children didn't have their own jersey one was easily borrowed from either an older sibling or adult, as was evidenced by the enormity of some shirts.

On Wednesday, our children and adults celebrated Twin Day, as individuals were encouraged to speak with a friend to coordinate matching outfits.

Many of our children partook in this event and so too did several adults within the building. It was interesting to see such connections be made.

Once Thursday came, we celebrated Tie Dye Day. If you recall from my last article, we had T-shirts tie dyed from Play Day, and they were again put to good use as scores of children and adults wore their shirts to school one more time.

When Friday came, it was Weedsport Day, and our children and staff wore Weedsport green.

Everyone was able to purchase Weedsport Warrior T-shirts from a school spirit order, and several during this day wore these shirts. More than 700 shirts were purchased across the district.

Thanks to all who helped to make this day special for our students, faculty and staff.

Lynn Cheche Baker is a third-grade teacher at Weedsport Elementary School and is also the owner of the Successful Steps Tutoring Service