From K4 to 12th grade our students participated in several Black History Month themed activities!
In elementary school we had two special Black History Month chapels. During the first week of February, Pastor Philip Tinsley shared from Matthew 23:23 and encouraged the students to do as Jesus said, and treat others with fairness, mercy, and faithfulness. The next week, Mrs. Hubler led the students in a few Black History Month reader’s theaters on Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, and more!
Mrs. McInerney shared with parents more about what she focused on during February elementary chapels.
“We love celebrating the amazing things African Americans have done in the past and continue to do today. Today in chapel I shared about Dr. Carter G. Woodson. He was the founder of Black History Month. He is an American historian, journalist, and author. He went to Harvard University and earned his PhD, where one of his professors told him that Black people have no history. Carter Goodwin Woodson disagreed. He spoke up and said, “No people lacked a history.” In February 1926, he launched the celebration of “Negro History Week” which later became Black History Month.
I highly recommend the children’s book: Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson. This book explains how Dr. Carter Woodson grew up in Virginia, his parents were slaves, his father was a Civil War Veteran, he learned to read and write, worked in the coal mines for years, and then finally when he was 20 years old, finished high school and went on to Harvard University. He was an awesome man with quite a story. You won’t be able to put the book down!
We plan on teaching the kids many similar stories to encourage our students to love all people. I love that here at Timothy, our students are surrounded by so many girls and boys from different cultures, and languages. God has made each of us differently and He loves all of us.”
We also held a special middle school and high school Black History Month chapel. Dr. Joanne Noel, former TCS faculty member and current professor at Pillar College, spoke on Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots or horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” She asked the students to think about what their “chariots or horses” were and what they are relying on instead of God. She challenged the students to rely on God and choose holiness each day!
In individual classes many of the teachers did special units and projects focused on black history.
Mrs. Leahy had her middle school math students research famous African American mathematicians and present to their classmates their findings on each person.
Ms. Edwards had her 6th graders choose different African Americans they look up to and create a poster sharing about their life. Two of our students even chose our own staff, Mrs. McInerney and Mr. Covington!
Mrs. Dagnall is currently working through a Reconstruction unit, where the students learn what life was like for African Americans after the Civil War.
In her English classes, Mrs. Jayawardene had her students listen to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” and create a radio newscast sharing about the event as if they were there. They also studied spirituals and sang these historic songs using instruments like shakers and drums.
We love seeing our students celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans who have made great contributions to society as well our faith!
