Students Recognized for Cultural Projects

NAACP Parent Council recognized 140 students for their participation in Black History Month research projects on Tuesday evening. 

The event was a culmination of a month-long project in which students wrote research papers or did art work on their choice of four subjects: Duke Ellington, Barbara Jordan, Walter Mosley and Dorothy Height.

The school’s NAACP Parent Council Co-Chair Lisa Murdock said her group chose research subjects from a group of people who have either recently passed away or individuals with ties to the local community.

The project did not count towards school grades, but third grade teacher Julie Chen found a way to incorporate the extra-curricular activity into her biographies and reading sections of regular course work. She wanted her students to learn about and celebrate diversity.

“It was great to see the kids excited about learning,” Chen said.

Fourth grader Genevieve Shipe was surprised to find that an estimated 12,000 people attended the renowned pianist Duke Ellington’s funeral. Her mother, Anne Shipe said she was pleasantly surprised to discover new types of music and new Duke Ellington compositions when she helped her daughter with her project.

Murdock said this year had the most entries in the award’s history of seven years. She added she was surprised by how hard the students had worked on their projects.

“[The projects] are fabulous,” she said. “You can tell the kids put in hours of work and this doesn’t even count towards school grades or anything. It is just a project that they do. It is academic and fun mixed together.”

Principal Christopher Wynne said it was important for African American children in the school to know there are people to look up to as role models. He added it was important to recognize diversity in the student body and the awards ceremony was a way to do just that.

“What we are doing tonight is recognizing the diversity of our kids and our school community,” he said. “One is to understand the diversity in our schools and our students’ culture and two is to create an understanding that through hard work and commitment they can do whatever they want. Sometimes there is a price to go ahead and do so, but it’s possible and our kids have the ability to do that.”

Throughout the month, students have also been reading announcements about each of the people being honored on the school television show.

During the awards ceremony the students presented a musical and dance selection in honor of Duke Ellington.