So Far in Black History Month
This beginning of February has been a busy one celebrating Black History Month. We have a whole month of activities planned for all ages to recognize and remember Black Leaders across the world. We have different focus themes for every week in February along with bipoc readings, art projects, special guests and an entire booklet for every class to work through, called A-Z Dreamers of Canadian Black Leaders. Thanks Jessi, Simon and Sophia for spear heading our Black History Month.
In our art program, the JKs-grade 4 students contributed to making a group project school quilt. Students glued cut pieces of different paper to create a variety of quilt patterns. The JK-SK class will be contributing painted sunflowers to this same school quilt. All our classes are learning about the famous artist, Faith Ringgold, and have been looking at her many gorgeous quilts for inspiration. Our JK-SK classes have been inspired by Faith Ringgold’s quilt called “Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles”. Our grade1-4 students are further exploring the principal of design, “Pattern”- the repetition of visual elements and shapes, and you can see that work through this quilting.
Throughout some of the individual classes our students have been reading different books to engage their awareness on everyone’s unique differences and how our physical appearances make us who we are and that we are all beautiful. Classes created self-portraits where they were encouraged to stay true to themselves when using the appropriate skin tone colouring utensils, and fun crafting materials for their hair.
Our SKs focused on a strong Black Female Historian Figure, Rosa Parks, one of the most prominent activists of the Civil Rights Era. She was an everyday Black American civilian who endured the country’s segregation laws and intense racist sentiment, until she realized how imperative it is not to be complacent. This led her to make her famous choice to not give up her seat and move to the back of the bus. After reading through a story all about Rosa Parks in class, the students detailed her achievements on worksheets through sentence work and art.