Photo Courtesy/King Middle School
Day of King, in its second year, is a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy attended by the community at-large. It took place at King Middle School on April 11 with over 600 guests in attendance. Pictured are Models of Excellence winners.
By MJ Duncan
Photo Courtesy/King Middle School
Assembly candidate Marc Steinorth presented King Middle School Principal Maria Jauregui with an acknowledgment.
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is taught and celebrated in many school districts, if not all, each year. In the San Bernardino City Unified School District Dr. King is celebrated by the entire community during Day of King at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. SBCUSD Board Member Dr. Margaret Hill and members of the local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa conceived the event. The event, in its second year, took place on Sat. Apr. 11.
According to Program Facilitator Tawiah Finley, the celebration of Dr. King’s legacy and classroom lessons commence on his birthday, and the event serves as a culmination on or around the day of his assassination.
“That’s part of the celebration of Dr. King’s life,” Finley said. “Although Dr. King was tragically assassinated, part of Day of King is about remembering the joy and hope Dr. King brought to so many people.”
Models of Excellence awards were presented to district students, staff and community members who embody the spirit of Dr. King. List of winners is below.
Students district wide were invited to participate in an essay contest and create artwork about Dr. King. Winners were announced during the Day of King, which featured free food provided by local organizations such as Stater Bros. and Community Action Partnership, and student performances. According to Finley over 30 vendors were present, 50 backpacks were distributed as well as five baskets from Staples filled with stationary and office supplies.
Planning occurred over a two-month period and involved contributions from the whole district such as representatives from the Family Resource Center, Education Services and Creative Before- and Afterschool Programs for Success (CAPS).
The event was a success with over 600 guests attending the celebration. Finley mentioned that they were also able to get parental feedback regarding education and local funding through surveys that were disseminated.
First place essay and video contest winners:
Alexander Gonzalez; 2nd grade; essay – Manuel A. Salinas Elementary
Carlos Yniguez, Don-Joevanny Hernandez, Karina Garfias, Daniel Rivera; 3rd grade; video – Muscoy Elementary
Abigail Willis; 7th grade; essay – Cesar E. Chavez Middle School
Brandon Watts, 12th grade; essay – Cajon High
First place winners for Visual Arts Contest and Show:
Trinh Lee (12th grade student representing Mr. Keith Cox art class) – Pacific High
Serenity Nicol – Bing Wong Elementary; Hillside Elementary CAPS Club
Mrs. Doan’s Period 1 Class – King Middle School;
Erik Loza, King Ia, Angel Marlo, Anthony Esquivel, and Joseph Palmer (Students from Mrs. Sabrina Smith class) – King Middle School