March 16, KENNESAW, Ga. – The daffodil, one of the first flowers of spring, beautifully symbolizes new beginnings. In that vein, lower school students at Mount Paran Christian School set about planting more than 500 daffodil bulbs this past fall, looking forward to the promise of spring. The school planted 500 bulbs, one for each preschool through lower school student, with plans to plant more in the future.
Now, the yellow blossoms of the daffodil are adding a dose of cheer during these rainy days to the grounds of the MPCS campus. The bulbs were initially planted in fall 2019 as a memorial to the children lost during the Holocaust as part of the larger The Daffodil Project. The bulbs serve as a reminder to love others and to treat each other with kindness, with Ephesians 4:2-3 serving as a guiding principle: “Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together.”
According to The Daffodil Project, daffodils were chosen because the “shape and color of the daffodils represent the yellow stars that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Yellow is the color of remembrance. Daffodils represent our poignant hope for the future. They are resilient and return with a burst of color each spring. The daffodils also honor those who survived the Holocaust and went on to build new lives after this dark and difficult period.” Since 2010, The Daffodil Project has become a worldwide project that’s grown exponentially, with gardens planted in Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, and beyond. Each planting around the world includes a plaque explaining the project.
As the flowers came into bloom around campus, Mount Paran Christian School lower school students were reminded of their history class lessons about the Holocaust. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the U.S. Congress “established Days of Remembrance as the nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust.” It will honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, with activities taking place nationwide Sunday, April 19, through Sunday, April 26.
About Mount Paran Christian School
Mount Paran Christian School, the largest private Christian school in Cobb County, is a non-denominational, college-preparatory school for students in preschool age three through grade 12. MPCS is committed to excellence in academics, award-winning arts, and championship athletics, all within a Christian environment with small class sizes. Founded in 1976, MPCS is fully accredited (SAIS/AdvancED) and located near Kennesaw Mountain on a 68-acre collegiate-like campus. Providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, MPCS unites with home and church to prepare servant-leaders to honor God, love others, and walk in truth. http://www.mtparanschool.com
About the Daffodil Project
The Daffodil Project aspires to build a worldwide Living Holocaust Memorial by planting 1.5 million Daffodils in memory of the children who perished in the Holocaust and in support for children suffering in humanitarian crises in the world today. Daffodil Project is an initiative of Am Yisrael Chai, a nonprofit Holocaust Education and Genocide Awareness Organization. https://www.daffodilproject.net/
CONTACT: Amber Irizarry, Communications Content Specialist, Mount Paran Christian School, airizarry@mtparanschool.com, 770.578.0182 ext. 3601
