Students at Providence Hebrew Day School honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Acknowledging Dr. King’s legacy through art

On Monday, January 20, students at the Providence Hebrew Day School gathered to commemorate and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., general studies teacher in grades 3 and 4, Ms. Aly Weston-Murphy, prepared this program for students in grades 1-8.

The assembly began with a video presentation by the fourth grade students. As part of their study of Readers’ Theater, the students performed the skit “I Have a Dream” by Mack Lewis, and their teacher recorded it. This skit briefly explains how Dr. King, as a child, understood the problem of discrimination; he knew that it needed to be addressed but did not think he would be the one to do so. By the end of the skit, with Dr. King’s famous speech at the March on Washington, the audience saw that he had the power to make a difference.

At the conclusion of the skit, each student was given a piece of paper displaying one word or phrase. These included “All men are created equal,” “Brave” and “Peace.” Students made pencil sketches illustrating what these words and phrases meant to them. Afterward, they mounted their depictions on colored paper. Selections of this work will be displayed on the school’s front bulletin board in February.

The third grade students had made samples of this project to serve as models for the other students, and they assisted their schoolmates during this activity.

This assembly reminded both students and teachers of the need to show gratitude to Dr. King for the huge impact he had on our country’s understanding of freedom and equality.

MIRIAM ESTHER WEINER is the principal at Providence Hebrew Day School.