CHANGE BECOMES PEACE: CASADY PINWHEELS 9/21/2011- ONE GOAL: PEACE

On 9/21/2011, United Nations, International Day of Peace's 30th Anniversary, http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/ multilingual peace pinwheels http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com/pinwheelsforpeace/home.html spun at the Casady lake aligning our paths to peace with "finding and acting from a state of peace within ourselves to commitment to practical acts of peace for the good of others; and to an ongoing peace building practice." The Peace One Day, Global Truce 2012 video http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/welcome, shown at Chapel inspired us to equate the observance of the day to saving lives because the projected cease of fire in 2011 would allow children to be immunized, and food would reach people in need through the United Nations World Food Programme. We were also inspired by Jeremy Gilley's passion for an intentional ONE DAY avoidance of conflict and violence on International Day of Peace, Friday, September 21, 2012.

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, who teach at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for their students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. http://www.pinwheelsforpeace.com/pinwheelsforpeace/home.html The project was quickly embraced by their students and the entire school community and by millions of art teachers, teachers, parents, children who want a world at peace.

La clase de la Senorita Croce

The Casady UD peace pinwheels, designed by Spanish teacher, Eric Chaverri, were the first to be planted around the lake. Miss Brittany Croce, UD Spanish teacher stated, "Pinwheels gave a fun break from grammar. Students did a great job decorating them with thoughtful target language words and haiku poetry."

Orchestra @ Chapel

At UD chapel, Mr. Larry Moore stated his path to peace as "peaceful resolution of conflicts" at the end of an inspiring speech and before his orchestra performed Mr. Moore's favorite "piece of peace" led by Teddy Nollert'12.

The Middle, Lower, and Primary Divisions, wearing Six Billion Paths to Peace http://www.sef.org/projects/six-billion-paths-to-peace/ t-shirts donated for the occasion by the Shinnyo-en Foundation, had special celebration activities through the day.

Mr. Varela, our Assistant Vicar and Miss Lynn Taylor, Foreign Language Department Head, facilitated a reflective and joyful MD planting of peace pinwheels around the lake.

Mrs. Jeanmarie Nielsen, choir director for Upper and Middle divisions stated, "All MD choirs and the UD Choir learned a setting of the "Pie Jesu," Latin prayer for peace. The composer, Mary Lynn Lightfoot, is an Oklahoma musician who wrote this piece after the OKC bombing. The MD choirs came together to form a mass choir of 73 singers, and sang "Pie Jesu" in chapel on Wednesday, 9/21/11. The UD choir sang the piece in their chapel on Tuesday, 9/20/11."

At the end of the day, fifth graders joined the Eno Environment online, PEACE IS GREEN http://eno.joensuu.fi/basics/briefly.htm and planted a sapling of the Oklahoma Memorial Survivor Tree http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A-ICA3YE3I brought to our campus by the museum's education coordinator, Mrs. Lynn Porter. Inspirational tree planting speeches were given by fifth grade students, Dalton Schumaker, Lucy Greene and teacher and environmentalist, David Braden.

In the 7th grade classes, Mrs Stephanie Crossno stated, "We have student presentations beginning on Wednesday and Thursday during the English classes—7th grade. The students have designed utopian peaceful communities that they will be sharing using Power Point presentations. Also, the kids are working on a tape art installation representing different aspects of community ideals." In the 8th grade advisories, students watched Jeremy Gilley's 32 minute video, PEACE ONE DAY. Mr. White, Service Coordinator of the SEE period stated, "It prompted conversations that matter. Kids needed more time. It was awesome."

The LD planted their laminated pinwheels on a drawing of a peace symbol. At chapel students joined children around the world singing Rock our World http://www.rockourworld.org/, facilitated by Tammy Rice, LD music teacher.

The Primary Division students were so attached to their pinwheels they could not part from them. They had a reflective walk and delighted observing the pinwheels created by the other divisions across the lake. Emma Sharp'12 volunteered at the event.

Susan Bruce, LD Math teacher, as she did in 2005, when she brought the pinwheels for peace project to the Casady community in support of the then first OKC citywide Pinwheels for Peace festival, took hundreds of LD pinwheels to the OCU International Day of Peace, Pinwheels for Peace Festival. Khadija Hamid'12 and Carmen Clay, Service-Learning Director took the UD and MD pinwheels to the festival. Festival volunteers planted over 800 pinwheels in front of the Great Hall of the OCU McDaniel Student Center. One of the Casady pinwheels made the Daily Oklahoman morning headline on 10/22/2011.

Japan America Society Community Dance

Capitol Hill's Diversity Dance Club: Waka, Waka

Inside OCU's Great Hall, intergenerational performers delighted the audience demonstrating the rich multicultural talented tapestry of our city.

Seaworth Academy Music Class

Giant Pinwheel Workshop at Woods Community Room

The giant pinwheels created by Khadija Hamid'12 at a workshop facilitated by LWPB architectural firm intern Morgan Robberson, received OCU's giant pinwheel contest trophies.

Mikel Ibarra, Festival Chair announces Giant Pinwheel Contest winners

Pinwheels were donated to non-profit organizations through festival organizer, Respect Diversity Foundation CEO, Joan Korenblit.

At the culmination of the OCU festival, Joan Korenbilt stated, “Guests participated in a drumming circle that set the mood for our festival.
Participants were asked to ‘imagine peace.’ They joined in during several dances including a lovely Japanese folk dance. The festival was truly an interactive celebration! People of all cultures were reminded that the diversity within our world enhances the Earth.”

Peace Flash Mob choreographed by Elizabeth Mueller

Khadija Hamid'12, Casady YAC festival volunteer stated, "It was awesome to make the pinwheels, dance the flash peace mob, and see the talented youth who celebrated the International Day of Peace at OCU. I wish more people would have been able to participate because it was amazing. I loved Capitol Hill's High School's Waka, Waka and the Dragon Dancers ."

Give Peace a Chance by Steve McLinn

Carmen Clay'74 stated, "Our only regret was not to have been able to share the festival with our Shinnyo-en friends-kind providers of the Six Billion Paths to Peace t-shirts-, Foundation Vice-President, Ben Takagi and Program Director, Ineko itsuchida, who spent the day resolving peacefully conflicts with flight cancellations and missed connections."