Celebrating Black History Month
February was Black History Month and this year’s theme was "We are Connected. There's No Place Like Home." With activities like Black History Month trivia, musical highlights from Mrs. Dionne Smith, and a special guest speaker, students at Saint Patrick Catholic School had the opportunity to better understand the immeasurable impact the black community has had on our nation.
On Thursday, February 27, the Second Grade transformed into historical black leaders for a Wax Museum presentation in the Theater. Parents, faculty, and staff strolled through the room asking each student about who they were portraying. These fully-costumed Wolfhounds spoke in first person about the life of those they represented and how they led by example and changed the world in a positive way.
On Friday, February 28, Middle School Director Akilah Ellison held a special assembly for students in Third through Eighth Grades. The program began with an introduction and prayer from Assistant Middle School Director Kevin Price and was followed by a “connections” activity with Middle School Director Akilah Ellison. She posed fun questions like “Who is sleepy this morning?”, “Who was born outside Virginia?”, and students answered yes to the various questions by standing up. Upon looking around, students were able to see that they have a lot more in common with their peers than they might think. The Fifth Grade then presented what they had learned about Gee’s Bend quilters in Alabama before unveiling their own artistic representation of a Gee’s Bend quilt that included contributions from every Fifth Grade student.
After the quilt presentation, Mrs. Ellison then introduced our guest speaker from The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. Director of Youth Ministry and Faith Formation Nicole Drummond shared the rich history of the Basilica which includes the story of St. Patrick Catholic Church which once stood where the Basilica stands today. St. Patrick was burned down in 1856 by those that opposed black and white parishioners celebrating Mass together. A large wood crucifix was the only object to survive the fire and it remains housed at the Basilica. A replica of this crucifix hangs in the TowneBank Atrium at Saint Patrick Catholic School.
To conclude the assembly, Mr. Price called up Lindsay B., Myra B., Charlie D., Molly K., Toni M., Eliot R., Henry T., and Maelea W. - the eight Black History Month trivia finalists - to compete for champion of the trivia contest. Every student that participated worked hard to memorize 121 unique facts about black athletes, musicians, and religious leaders. While Molly K. eventually came out on top in the trivia contest, all Wolfhounds should be proud of their efforts!
Other Black History Month highlights:
- Prekindergarten had a Martin Luther King, Jr. theology lesson and introduced the word "inclusion" versus "exclusion."
- Kindergarten immersed themselves in stories of historical African American figures, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. In addition, they engaged in many hands-on activities centered around these literature studies.
- First Grade students worked on a sentence expansion activity that focused on the life of Ruby Bridges, the first African American child to attend an integrated school in Louisiana.
- Third Grade read the book, Belle: The Last Mule at Gee’s Bend, A Civil Rights Story. The students concluded the literature study by creating their own personal paper quilt inspired by the Gee’s Bend quilters.
- Fourth Grade completed an in-depth book study on Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race.
From civil rights leaders to artists, from musicians to educators, from inventors to athletes, Black Americans continue to be a vital part of our past, present, and future. Wolfhounds will continue this learning throughout the year!
Click HERE to view more photos from the Wax Museum!
