Throughout February, ACS students from preschool to high school participated in a variety of special activities and class projects for Black History Month. Bulletin boards, library displays, classroom assignments, and a trivia contest during morning announcements helped shine a spotlight on the history, culture, and accomplishments of Black Americans.
The quiz contest ran for two weeks in February and a total of 8 African Americans were highlighted as well as a quiz question on the 13th amendment. Students were told a fact about an influential Black American and were able to qualify to win a prize by being the first to find their Principal and correctly identify that person. Information about the noteworthy individuals and the 13th amendment were displayed on a large bulletin board in the Multi-Purpose Room.
On February 3, Elementary and Upper School students welcomed chapel speaker Christian Ragland, who spoke on the Biblical principles around diversity and inclusion. “Jesus lived by example and taught us to be kind to each other and to love our neighbors as ourselves,” Ragland said. “If you want to be God’s ambassador, you should not make assumptions about others because they are different from you. Ask questions and find ways to use what makes someone different to benefit the whole.” Ragland is the operations pastor at Lighthouse Community Church in Pleasantville and is Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at AtlantiCare.
Celebrating Diversity Bulletin Board displayed information about the individuals and 13 amendment that were part of a Black History Month trivia quiz.
Chapel speaker Christian Ragland, center, shares an analogy about Power Rangers and their ability to work together as a team with high school students James Papanikolaou, left, and Joshua Guevara, right.
A variety of classroom lessons and projects highlighted the historical contributions of African Americans and celebrated God’s plan for creating unity from diversity. Below are examples of some of these projects.
Mrs. Bird’s PreK4 class made a poster with all different colors of skin used to make their handprints. Following the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the students described their dreams for the future, which Mrs. Bird wrote next to their handprints.
The students in Mrs. Hockenberry’s 2nd grade class created an art mosaic about George Washington Carver on the hallway bulletin board outside their classroom.
Students in Ms. Stiteler’s 8th grade Writing Class researched African American poets and created a slideshow to showcase their chosen poet, including Maya Angelou.
Mrs. Parker’s Middle School Social Studies Class read short biographies every day of different influential African Americans, including some not-as-publicized figures, including former U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan.
Mrs. Huff’s 3rd grade students worked on a “We Are Woven Together” art project mixing red, yellow, black, and white paints to create many different skin tones. They had fun discovering which tone matched other students in the class. They also cut different strips of color and wove them into interconnected patterns in the shape of a heart..
The ACS Library showcased a selection of picture books celebrating African American icons and authors.
The High School Info Tech Class learned about cyber ethics and data collection. The students researched some examples of unethical experimental research in American medical history, including the Tuskegee Experiment, where African American men were infected with syphillis, and given placebo medications instead of being treated with Penicillin, a highly effective cure.
Throughout February, ACS students from preschool to high school participated in a variety of special activities and class projects for Black History Month. Bulletin boards, library displays, classroom assignments, and a trivia contest during morning announcements helped shine a spotlight on the history, culture, and accomplishments of Black Americans.
