Whirled Peace Day

Whirled Peace Day, a Steward tradition since 2007, honors Pinwheels for Peace, a national project for art teachers and their students. Coordinator of Service Learning and Community Engagement Alexa Bolt teamed up with art teachers Abby Klein and Kristin Snellings and retired art teacher Lynn Zinder to coordinate this year’s celebration. 

Steward’s Whirled Peace Day (a play on words for “World Peace Day”) has for many years been an opportunity for students to create and “plant” pinwheels on campus. This year, Lower, Middle, and Upper School students used origami paper to craft paper cranes, which symbolize peace, and families in all divisions participated in a diaper drive to benefit a local non-profit. 

“Whirled Peace Day allows Spartans to reflect on peace and work together to give back to the wider community,” said Ms. Bolt. “Although World Peace Day takes place nationwide on September 21, Spartans in all divisions know that teaming up to help others is a lifetime goal and essential to Steward’s core values of inspiration and care & respect.”

This year, Steward partnered with Little Hands Virginia for Whirled Peace Day. Little Hands Virginia serves over 10,000 children each year by providing diapers, wipes, clothing, and other essential baby items to families throughout the Richmond metro area. The organization collects items on an ongoing basis, and volunteers bundle and deliver them. 

Over the course of several weeks, Spartan families donated more than 4,300 diapers and 900 wipes. Middle Schoolers taught by Ms. Klein loaded the donations into Ms. Bolt’s car, and Ms. Bolt delivered the items to Little Hands.

“We also partnered with Edgerton Elementary School in Maplewood, Minn., and will send some of the beautiful cranes their way,” said Ms. Bolt. “In turn, they’ll send us some paper cranes that their students created. I love this special partnership between schools, and I look forward to displaying the crane collaboration on campus. It’s an added connection between students that blends art and community.” 

She added, “It’s heartwarming to know that the generosity of Steward families is bringing comfort to so many. I am continuously impressed by our community’s commitment to helping those in need. Thank you, Spartans!”