The idea for

the butterflies came from a poem written by a child, Pavel Friedman, who

died in one of the concentration camp ghettos. He wrote "The Butterfly"

April 6, 1942. The poem is about the only butterfly he would ever see

in the ghetto before his death.

Each student

at Burch was responsible for making 100 paper butterflies. Byrd supplied

the students with the drawings of the butterflies for them to cut out

and decorate. Most of the work was done at home and families were encouraged

to do the project together.

"It's

important that parents talk to their children at home about the facts

surrounding the holocaust. This project is a great way to get that dialog

going," Byrd says.

Each butterfly

represents 100 children. With the help of parent volunteers, the butterflies

were hung on the walls and from the ceiling of the fifth grade hallway.

Every class

in each grade level at the school has had an opportunity to walk through

the hallway and view the butterflies. Although some of the younger students

do not fully comprehend what the holocaust was about, Byrd says they do

have an understanding of the seriousness of the project and treat it with

the proper respect.

"You can

see the elementary students being very careful when they touch the butterflies

or pass through the hallway. Sometimes the older students will get quiet

and you can tell they are reflecting on the event and thinking about why

it happened," Byrd says.

Byrd admits

that the project is a lot of work for both the children and their parents,

but she says it is something that the students want to do.

"Why the

holocaust happened is hard for any of us to understand, especially the

children. Their biggest question is always 'why?' Byrd comments. "This

project not only helps them to see the magnitude of this piece of history

but it also gives them a sense that they are doing something special for

those children who lost their lives."

The butterflies

will be on display through the last day of school.

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