Mayor Nutter decided on green because it symbolized renewal.
The Rev. Katherine Rick-Miller chose red in honor of the Holy Spirit.
And 13-year-old Deonna Rushing picked blue because "it is one of the colors that represent America."
Yesterday, they and about 350 other children, community members, teachers and friends put their colorful handprints on a playground wall of Thomas Mifflin Elementary School in East Falls.
About a week earlier, the wall - once covered by a mural - was defaced by vandals with graffiti so vile that officials decided to paint it immediately, before children arrived at school.
Yesterday's gathering, which included songs and snacks, was held to symbolically reclaim the schoolyard and plaster a rainbow of handprints on the wall as a show of unity.
"This school belongs to us all," said Shirl Gilbert, the school district's West Region superintendent.
Until defaced with racial epithets and swastikas, the mural depicted a diverse group of children in front of scenes of famous places. But the 30-foot wall ringing the playground had to be quickly covered with a coat of steel-gray paint.
"It's unfortunate we don't have a picture, so we can't replace it," Gilbert said, adding that the city's Mural Arts Program had agreed to help with a new mural in the fall.
"Little kids saw that," seventh grader Deonna said of the graffiti. "What was the point of doing this to our school? It is just cruel."
She wanted the younger children to forget about what they saw and enjoy the gathering. But she and others couldn't help wondering about the people who committed the crime.
"I wanted to ask them why they would do that," said Crystal Devine, 13, who said her feelings had been hurt by what had been done. "They were talking about us."
The seventh grader used bright green to make her mark.
"I learned so much about interracial issues," said former student David McClenahan, 60, of East Falls, who recalled playing ball and running races in the recess area years ago. Race "was such a nonissue when we were 6, 7 and 8."
He said the community was excited about the school's recent academic progress. He said he hoped yesterday's assembly would put what happened in perspective and not destroy what the school had accomplished.
"This community has rallied and always done the right thing when someone steps up and does the wrong thing," Nutter told the crowd. "We are not deterred by events in the last couple of weeks."
The participants wasted no time in selecting from the red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple paint pans of "premium plus semigloss enamel."
Cory Middleton, 55, school engineer and former student, opted for green because it reminded him of the earth.
Seventh grader Natina Sudler, 12, picked yellow, her favorite color.
And community organizer Alexandra Voorhees selected red as a reminder of her American Indian heritage.
"Hopefully when the kids leave school they will know they are supported," Voorhees said.