This week, as we are approaching Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, our programs have been celebrating his legacy and accomplishments in many different ways. At our program at John Strange Elementary, the book club has learned to recite the “I have a Dream” speech. The school age kids will create posters that show unity and young people engaged and helping each other in the spirit of MLK. The kids will also share their dreams, and talk about how to make them come true. Lastly, they will learn and sing the song “We Shall Overcome”.
The kindergarteners will learn to recite the “Martin Luther King Jr. Poem.” They will make a “Hand Wreath” in various colors that will show how you can put the works of different people together to make something fabulous. They have already created a dream cloud that shows what the kids’ dreams are, what they want to be when they grow up, and ways they think could make the world happier. They also created these great chains of freedom with black, white, yellow and brown paper. Each link represents a hand, and our chain reminds us that Dr. King joined hands with people of all colors when he marched for freedom. They will finish the weeklong celebration singing “Freedom, Freedom Let it Ring”.
Kennedy (2nd grade) “My dream is to be famous, and to have money to help sick people pay bills.”
Taylor (3rd grade) “My dream is to be rich and help all of the homeless have homes and food to eat.”
Lylah (2nd grade) “My dream for the world is to have a better, healthier environment, and enough food to feed everybody.”
Harper (K) “Help people to get jobs so they will have enough money to pay bills.”
Braylon (K) “My dream is to see all people live in nice homes.”
At another one of our programs, IPS 84, the kids will play a game of MLK Jeopardy. The kids already knew quite a bit about Dr. King, but to really prepare they have been reading some books and looking up information on the internet. They copied down what they learned onto index cards and posted them around the room to help practice for the big game.
They also made dream catchers and answered the question “My dream is…” It is always great to see what is going on in those young and thoughtful minds. Here are a few examples:
I have a dream…
…to be a first chair violinist (Evie, 3rd)
…to become a professional dancer and perform at really popular places (Taylor, 4th)
…for everyone to have a breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Maddie, 3rd)
…to own a farm (Lily, 3rd)
…I want the world to understand it is not right to steal or to bully. (Morgan, 5th)
…to have a new baby sister (Remy, K)
…to grow up and get a job (Kolby, K)
…to get to ride a hover-board (Elliott, 2nd)
All of our kids are unique, and so are the ideas and dreams that move them, but they can unite in the belief that if we work together for a common goal and justice for all, we can achieve anything.
