February is African American History Month, and New Hanover County Schools plans to celebrate with a variety of events that are educational, inspirational and fun.  Throughout the district, schools are incorporating African American studies into classroom curricula highlighting the important contributions African Americans have made in our nation’s history.

 

To celebrate African American History Month, the following events are just a few examples of planned activities:

 

Thursday, February 15, 2018, at 1:00 pm

Wrightsboro Elementary School

The school will host the Buffalo Soldiers for a presentation to 1st and 2nd-grade students.  The group upholds the legacy of the original Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army formed in 1866.

 

Friday, February 16, 2018, at 12:30 pm

Sunset Park Elementary School

7^th Annual African American Read-In

Community members have been invited to read works of literature by African American authors to students at Sunset Park.  This is the 28^th year for the national event.

 

Thursday, February 22, 2018, at 3:45 pm

Williston Middle School

The NHCS Public Relations Division will have an exciting Girl POWER! event.  The guest speaker is Elizabeth Montgomery, a Star-News reporter.  Students will learn about Ms. Montgomery’s career and how she became a journalist.

 

Thursday, February 22, 2018, at 5:30 pm

D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy

D. C. Virgo is hosting a Steam Night spotlighting and celebrating African American history and culture.  The event will feature STEM stations, a museum gallery walk, Blacks in Wax, dance, and music.  The event is free and open to the community.

 

Monday, February 26, 2018, at 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm

Holly Tree Elementary School

There will be an interactive presentation given by Derrick C. Jones, which focuses on “The Life and Legacy of Mr. Jack Roosevelt Robinson.”  The career of Jackie Robinson will be highlighted along with his life as a little boy, his elementary school days, high school, college and his baseball career as the first African American to play in the Major Leagues.  Students will have an active role in reading and acting out parts of Jackie Robinson’s life.

 

Throughout the month of February:

Diversity Matters – The February segment of Diversity Matters, one of the top-rated programs produced by NHCS-TV, features Mrs. Bertha B. Todd, retired NHCS educator, community strategist, and author, and Dr. Jan Davidson, historian, and Heather Yenco, curator, of the Cape Fear Museum.    The topic of this segment is African American History, specifically the impact of 1898, and artifacts from individuals that were a significant part of history in the Wilmington area.

 

Snipes Academy

Grade levels will incorporate stories about famous African Americans and their achievements throughout the month in their core reading instruction. Some classes will invite community members to talk to their classes.  Schoolwide, each student will be provided with an African Americans of STEM Educational Activity book, and a “fun fact” each day during morning announcements about an African American inventor, leader, or artist. The 3-D printer will be used for students to recreate inventions. The school will have a poster contest with prizes awarded to the top three entries, and there will be a trivia contest each Friday with a student in each grade level having the opportunity to win a prize.

 

Williston Middle School

Throughout February as well as the 3rd nine-weeks, 7th-grade students will practice reading standards through the lens of American and Wilmington civil rights history.  Williston is collaborating with the Williston Alumni Association and the Cape Fear Museum to provide students with a personal connection to the events that have shaped our city and our nation.

 

For more information, contact the Public Relations Division at 910-254-4245.