MCES Celebrates Black History Month
February 2022
Door Decorating Contest
K: Ms. Shramko & Mrs. England (tie)
1st: Ms. Brown
2nd: Mrs. Banks
3rd: Ms. Washington
4th: Mr. Brown & Mrs. Watson
5th: Mrs. Towle
Congratulations to all winners and classes who participated.
Kindergarten and 1st Grade: Actors/ Musicians/ Entertainers
Mrs. Maietta- Beyonce
Mrs. England: Zendeya
Ms. Shramko: Chadwick Boseman
Mrs. Brenner: Louis Armstrong
Mrs. Montgomery: Ella Jenkins
Mrs. Brown: Louis Armstrong
Second Grade: Scientist & Technology
Mrs. Weis: George Washington Carver
Mrs. Banks: Katherine Johnson
Mrs. Pawlak: Dr. Mae Jemison
Mrs. Ewell: George Washington Carver
Third Grade: Civil Servants & Politicians
Ms. Washington: Kamala Harris
Ms. Ostrander: Shirley Chisolm
Mrs. Daniels: Elijah Cummings
Ms. Gaede: Michelle Obama
Mrs. Zerhusen: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fourth Grade: Medicine
Mrs. Watson: Katherine Johnson
Mr. Brown: Various Health Professionals
Mrs. Zachary: Pioneers of Health
Ms. Thompson: Marie Daly
Fifth Grade: Authors/Poets/Writers
Mrs. Towle: Amanda Gorman
Ms. McGinnis: Various Authors
Ms. Blessing: Maya Angelou
Mrs. Stefanik: Various Authors
STUDENT WRITING AROUND THE BUILDING
Black History Month Writing Contest
3rd Grade
Anand Harjup Singh
5th Grade
Aubrey Beatson
Juliet Wentzell
Jonathan Purdie
Emma Lagogianni
Liam Russell
Ryan Holt
Jacob Downing
Brylee Semesky
Harliv Kaur
Anaya Haque
The following 5th graders' writings were submitted to represent MCES in the countywide competition:
Ja'Nya Vass
Gloria Son
Ryan Chase
River Lockhart
We are proud of the boys and girls who participated, and are in awe of their pieces. Some of their writings can be found below.
My superhero Dr. Martin Luther King
by Harjap Anand
Dr. Martin Luther King is my superhero. I want to give an award of perseverance to my superhero. I chose Dr. King as my hero because he never gave up and showed perseverance. It was hard in the days when he lived, and he was so smart that he graduated in much less time. That time even things were different. He had to go to different schools due to segregation. I am happy that Dr. King gave a powerful speech of I have a dream and won a global peace award. Dr King was born on January 15th, 1929, in Atlanta GA. Dr. King helped the civil rights movement. In those days people were separated by color and he ended that. He was an attorney, like his dad. It took a lot of hard work and perseverance to never give up even when he was threatened and had to go to jail over 20 times. His house was bombed and frequently threatened but that did not stop him working for equality. Dr. King had integrity and lots of more talent. In his speech, I have a dream, he is telling everyone that if you have a dream or anything that you want to make happen, you must work hard for it. You cannot give up on it and you should always be confident in yourself. He inspired me to make sure everyone is getting the same treatment without prejudice. He inspired me so I could fulfil my dreams. He showed us how your dreams come true. All you must do is your best and you can do anything. Do not give up, just try your best and do what you think is right.
Oprah Winfrey
Dear Oprah Winfrey,
You are amazing! You are caring! You are kind! You are driven! You are a superhero!
Hi, I am Juliet Wentzell and today I am presenting you with The Superhero award of courageousness and drive! To many people, including myself, you are what real superheroes should be! You have always had a positive mindset and continued pushing yourself even growing up in poverty, being abused, and even being judged by the color of your skin! You never gave up hope! You love to help people through your charity work all over the world! You turn challenges into opportunities every chance you get. You helped the world be a better place and made the world easier for African Americans and women to get good jobs, have more rights, and be treated like real people. This is what makes a true superhero.
Sincerely,
Juliet Wentzell
Troubles for Ruby Bridges
Written By: Gloria Son
Federal Marshals walking behind someone. Who is it? Ruby Bridges! Ruby Bridges was born on November 14, 1954 in Tylertown, Mississippi. She is known for being the first black child to attend a white only school. Though she faced lots of challenges, she got threatened, wasn't allowed to go to certain places, and couldn't see other children, she overcame these to become a superhero.
I know a superhero turns challenges into opportunities. The first challenge she faced was she got threatened several times while attending school. A woman threatened her that she was going to poison her with the cafeteria food. Of course from there on Ruby decided she would bring her own food. Another woman “greeted” her with a black doll in a coffin. A lot of people protested and were so mad that they even threw stuff at Ruby on her way inside school. Ruby’s dad lost his job and her grandparents even lost their farmland! But she did not let these challenges prevent her from going to school.
Secondly, Ruby couldn't go to specific areas at the school. She was only allowed to stay in one classroom. She couldn't go to the cafeteria, or outside to recess. All day she had to be in the same classroom with the same teacher. Luckily for Ruby, her teacher was very kind and supportive. She wanted her to have the same education as her white children. Not only was she not allowed to go to certain places but she also could not see other children.
Her final challenge at her school was she couldn't see other children. Mothers thought having their children with a black child was dangerous, so they didn't let them go to school. When kids did come back they wouldn't be Ruby’s friend just because she was black. At first she didn't know why but she then slowly realized why kids avoided being her friend. She felt sad and left out. But she still didn't let that get in her way of going to that school.
Ruby grew up to be an amazing role model. There were books and movies about her experience. She and her teacher reunited on the Oprah Winfrey show. Her experience taught other black children that their race doesn’t matter and everyone should have the same education. Ruby inspires me because no matter what obstacle she faced she kept going and that taught me to never give up. To me, Ruby Bridges is a true superhero.
Garrett Morgan
Written By: Ryan Chase
He dreamed of equity
always showed integrity
He loved inventing
his inventions kept extending
He also was courageous
his inventions were outrageous
He was always driven
he would never give in
Inventor of the traffic light and gas mask
Garret Morgan my superhero
Michelle Obama
Willing to help others
Who feels she can do anything
Who wonders about others people's point of view
Who dreams about making a difference
Who enjoys turning challenges into opportunities
Who is able to push through the obstacles
Who cares about other peoples
Who fears division
Michelle Obama my SuperHero
by Ja'Nya Vass
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
A superhero who wondered if black and whites would be equal.
A superhero who dreamed of equality and love .
A superhero who learned the harsh truth.
A superhero who dreamed of making the truth nicer.
A superhero who made a difference by being an outspoken difference maker.
A superhero who will be remembered for his efforts for equality
by Jonathan Purdie
Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Rudolph, a hopeful and persistent woman whom I give the award of perseverance. How could a girl who was told that she could never walk again, be the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in track and field in the same Olympic Games? Wilma Rudolph had double pneumonia, scarlet fever, and polio when she was very young. These diseases caused her to have problems with her left leg and had to wear a brace. Many People may ask “Then how did she win 3 gold medals in track and field in the same Olympic Games?” Well Wilma never gave up. She went to therapy and was able to walk again with hope and persistence. “My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.” Wilma was growing up in the South and at the time segregation was still a thing. She still was able to train and later qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games. Wilma set her first record here by being the youngest person on the U.S team and then she won bronze when she was just 16! In the next Olympic Games of 1960, Wilma set so many records and she won 3 gold medals in track and field, which led her to be the first American woman to do so. So when times were hard for Wilma Rudolph she persevered and did what she put her mind on. Her legacy lives on and many girls today can look up to Wilma because she was an African American woman at the time of segregation who had a problem with her leg and yet got through it with hope, perseverance, and persistence. This is why I give Wilma Rudolph the award of perseverance. Wilma once said “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”
by Harliv Kaur
Barack Obama
Winner of the 2022 Superhero Award
When the government was breaking up
Barack Obama
Made compromises
Made peace
Made medical insurance affordable
Decreased unemployment
Kept calm
All to help people
In the U.S
By bringing people together
by Liam Russell
Zendaya Coleman
A Real Superhero
More than a triple threat
Singer, dancer, actor, model, own clothesline, and most importantly stands up for what's right Positive, outgoing, inspirational, hopeful, and driven
Youngest person to win an Emmy
Stands up for more then just woman's rights and black community
But LGBTQ community and convinces everyone to be comfortable in their own skin
Willing to educate those who aren't and help unprivileged communities
She can’t change the world but one person at a time
Everyone counts
“Don’t try so hard to fit in and certainly don’t try so hard to be different just try hard to be you.” (Zendaya) Zendaya Coleman a real superhero.
By Aubrey Beatson
Harriet Tubman
The trees bending back
Through the dark and the night.
Someone who shined light.
Fled from abuse from her owner.
Helped others who tried.
A road that wasn’t underground.
When there was no hope or sound.
Someone who wasn’t greedy.
A person who was dedicated to helping others.
She was never greedy.
She didn't have much.
Escaped or you could say free.
Harriet Tubman.
A true super hero to all.
by River Lockhart
Derek Jeter
Played baseball from an early age
Player for the Yankees
Rookie of the Year
High School Player of the Year
Known as "The Captain"
Our MLB hero
We will always cheer for you.
by Jacob Downing
Billie Holiday
Hi, my name is Emma Lagogianni and I am from Greece. I want you to have the Driven and Courageous award. I give you this award because you came from a broken family and still you were able to find happiness. It must have been very hard for you when your mom had to leave you with other people so she could work. You have also have gone through very disturbing hardships, but I do not want to remind you of them. So let's start, focusing on the good things that happened to you as an African American woman in the world of jazz, like the fact that people called you Lady Day and you sang with the famous Louis Armstrong. Your showed your beautiful voice and courageousness for continuing to sing "Strange Fruit" which was a story about the lynching of African Americans in the South, even though you were told to stop. Although you got in a lot of trouble, you kept going and you were a huge hit in Europe. This reminds me that I am born in Greece, which is in Europe. To sum it up, you have taught me that no matter how bad your life can be, you should never stop doing what you love. You are a strong woman with a painful past, but also have a gift from God. You deserve this award 100 percent because you showed that any person from any place can still achieve anything they want to. I'm sorry about what happened to you, but I am such a fan of your voice.
With Admiration,
Emma Lagogianni
Jackie Robinson
Breaking the baseball barrier.
Earning freedom.
Fighting for other people's freedom.
Superior in four sports.
The first African American in the Baseball hall of fame.
The person who always wondered how to make the world better.
Jackie Robinson!!!!
by Ryan Holt
A Special Letter for a Special Lady
Hi, my name is Brylee Semesky from the Superhero Award Foundation. My fellow co-workers and I think that you deserve the Confidence Award. We think you deserve the Confidence Award because you have to have confidence to win a talent show, get a job, and have a lot of hit records. A big one is to have a president give you the National Medal of Arts, to start a charitable foundation, and to have 13 Grammys. We think it's amazing that you inspired Andra Day, Ledisi, and Lady Gaga. Also your songs are still being released. For all these reasons we believe you deserve the 2022 Confidence Award. We also wanted to tell you that we think you're beautiful, great, and an amazing singer. We love that you never give up.
Brylee Semesky