ERIE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Throughout the month of February, students across the district will be learning about the achievements, contributions and efforts of African Americans to the fields of language and literature, arts and music, and science, technology and health. This second week, Feb. 7-11, we're focusing on achievements or accomplishments in language and literature.

Edison Elementary School

Students in Room 113 are learning lessons from Jacqueline Woodson's writing, including "The Other Side" and "Each Kindness." 

Here are some "take-aways" they'd like to share from each text: 

The Other Side                                 

• You can be friends with anybody, no matter the person’s color
• Young people can teach adults lessons
• Humans are people, no matter what color

Each Kindness

• Bullying is not a good thing
• Do kind things for others
• It’s important to give everybody a chance

McKinley Elementary School

Students in Mrs. Farina's class are researching and writing biographies about Black contributors to the history of the United States of America.

Harding Elementary School

Students in Mrs. Blanchard's kindergarten class read a story about Ruby Bridges and learned about her bravery as the first African-American student to desegregate her all-white elementary school in Louisiana. Some of Mrs. Blanchard's students are pictured below holding their drawings of young Ruby Bridges.

Jefferson Elementary School

A bulletin board made by 2nd grade teacher Jaime Walker features Amanda Gorman, the American poet and activist who spoke at President Joe Biden's inauguration. Walker's second grade class will watch Ms. Gorman's now famous inaugural speech and create their own poetry to be displayed in the halls outside their room. 

Strong Vincent Middle School

Strong Vincent’s newspaper staff has been working long hours creating the February edition of the “Colonel Chronicles”. This month’s paper celebrates Black History Month and will be published on the school’s Facebook and Schoology pages. Thanks to teachers Kelly Godzwa and Kortnie Fisher for leading the talented crew of young writers.

Lincoln Elementary School

This week in art class at Lincoln, students read "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson and created a school-wide “Freedom Quilt” in celebration of Black History Month.

Wilson Middle School

Mrs. Connell, Mrs. Hynes, and Mrs. Kuhar's 7^th grade students are analyzing elements of a memoir through an excerpt in Eddy Harris' Mississippi Solo; the excerpt describes a black man's journey down the Mississippi River in the 1980's, including encounters with nature and society.  The students will also be creating poems mimicking the writing style of Langston Hughes. Hughes drew on his African-American heritage in his poetry using music, imagery, rhythm, culture, and life.

Diehl Elementary School

Students in Mrs. Rathmann's third grade class are digging into research, this week focusing on people who've made contributions to literature. They're piecing together what they learn each week to create a colorful "quilt."

Grover Cleveland Elementary School

Mrs. Sabol’s fifth-grade class learned about the famous Black American Langston Hughes, a multi-talented leader of the Harlem Renaissance Movement.  One of his many talents was writing poetry.  The class read the poem “Mother to Son,” a poem about the difficulties a mother faced in a racist society and the message she tried to give to her son.  They listened to both Langston Hughes himself and Viola Davis narrating it.  They then analyzed the poem and discussed its theme and the metaphors throughout it.  Lastly, the class worked with a partner to write a response about what the poem meant to them. 

Perry Elementary School

Amy Mlaker's second grade class learned about the Underground Railroad and how operators used quilts as signals to help the slaves. The students then made their own quilt using illustrated quotes relevant to Black History Month.

Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School

Ms. Lorei's third grade classroom recently held a discussion about what Black History Month means to them and why it is important for them as a class. They followed the discussion with a read-aloud about Ruby Bridges. Later during recess, this student self-selected an additional book on Ruby Bridges to read and a small group gathered around her.

Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy

Tenth grade students worked in small groups to complete a web quest assignment on quilts and the history of quilts, particularly in African American culture. After completing the web quest and discussion, students read “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker, the author of "The Color
Purple."

Erie's Public Schools Cyber Choice Academy (at the Patrick J. DiPaolo Student Success Center at Emerson-Gridley) 

Kindergarten and first grade students focused on Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris. The students were amazed that the second highest position in the United States of America was held by an African American woman! The students spoke about Ruby Bridges, whom they learned about the week before, and about how we could not have Harris as vice president without her bravery and the bravery of many others to stand up for equality. 

Harris is also the author of the book "Superheroes are Everywhere". While reading, the students found out that they know more superheroes than they thought -- and that they can be superheroes themselves!  They took the following Superhereo Pledge:

I promise to:

-make people feel special

-be someone that people can count on

-stand up for what is right

-be a best friend

-be a good teacher

-be kind

- explore with my friends and family

-study and work hard

-protect people that need it

-make a difference when I can

JoAnna Connell Elementary School

Students in Ms. Lyon's emotional support classroom helped color pages that hang together to display a beautiful abstract portrait of Dr. Maya Angelou. The students also learned facts about Dr. Angelou and about her significant contributions to American literature.