Winthrop Avenue School students applied their knowledge of the district’s Leadership Principles and Core Values to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fourth grade virtual students in Carolyn Buckley’s class at Winthrop Avenue School created a mosaic after reading and discussing books and videos about the former leader. Through a virtual platform, the students were assigned a puzzle piece and worked together to edit and complete the final product. Once all of the individual pieces were completed, Mrs. Buckley put the pieces together. The class decided to include the theme “Near or far, we can accomplish great things TOGETHER.” A follow-up discussion among classmates emphasized the importance of Synergy and Being Proactive and determined that the mural would not be complete with any one of the pieces missing.

Third graders in Victoria Seropian’s class read and discussed Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and wrote about dreams for themselves, the community, and the world. The writings were transferred to cloud-shaped forms and connected by a larger cloud that was titled “I Have a Dream.” The students displayed their writing for peers to read.

After reading Doreen Rappaport’s “Martin’s BIG Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Stacey Reiner’s third graders discussed the character traits associated with Dr. King words and actions. These traits including courage, kindness, empathy, tolerance, and respect. As part of their own writing, the students chose a character trait and described how they model this trait in their own lives. The class also discussed how Dr. King’s words help to remind us, even today, the importance of inclusivity and being an upstander in the community.