Students, parents and teachers prepare bags for donation to the Ronald McDonald House in Camden during the annual MLK Day of Service on Jan. 15.
The Harrison Township School District teamed with its Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Board for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 15 at Pleasant Valley School.
The day was focused on helping families at Ronald McDonald House in Camden and teaching King’s ideals about equality.
It was the second MLK day of service for the district and the event opened with a slideshow on King and the importance of his message – even today. Student speakers in each grade at Pleasant Valley read a story or poem on the subject.
Teacher Dolly Wells read an excerpt from King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered in Washington, D.C., during a 1963 civil rights march.
“People,” she said, “I encourage you later on this afternoon or whenever you find the time – – as we have our children on their technology, their iPads, Chrome Books – to take a moment to read that speech in its entirety and explain to your children what it means for us as a people, so we can get along and continue to do this, working side by side, regardless of the color of our skin …”
After an opening ceremony, parents, teachers and students prepared food bags from the township Rotary Club for the Ronald McDonald House with cards they created attached. Their messages included “dream,” “you are so loved” and “sending you a smile.”
There were two stations in the school’s cafeteria, one for photos and another for reading short children’s stories on King. A learning station in the nearby music room featured a video discussing his life and legacy.
Among other participants and guests were township police officers and firefighters; Committeeman Jeff Jacques; Deputy Mayor Lawrence Moore; and members of the advisory committee, including Chair Sarah Zuba.
“We weren’t sure what to expect, since this is our second annual event,” she explained. “It could have gone one of two ways: people could have felt like they’ve had the experience and were ready to look for something else. But I think what happened was they saw what a success last year was, and they were ready to build on it.
“So we got a lot of teachers involved, really getting students engaged …” Zuba added. “It helped to get the community even more engaged and involved, and we’re looking forward to growing every year.”
