Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than a day off in Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124. Students and teachers there are taking the initiative to ensure students understand the significance of Dr. King’s legacy. Known for being an esteemed Baptist minister, Dr. King led the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s by evoking steadfast, yet peaceful, activism in the United States.

Many would agree he was also known for his poignant messages and eloquent speeches. Northwest Principal, Dr. Matthew Banach, said one of his favorite quotes from Dr. King is, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’

Dr. Banach said that question relates to a Northwest school-wide theme about being conscious of how one’s actions and attitude impact others. “Each classroom is doing a unit of study about Dr. King, but in addition, we’re going to celebrate diversity by getting to know people different than ourselves.” He expounded, “During lunch, we’re going to select a mix-it-up day where students will be encouraged to sit next to someone whom they don’t ordinarily eat with in the cafeteria.”

Appreciation of our diverse population is also a theme at the District’s middle school. Central Middle School Principal Rita Sparks said, “We all may look different, but as humans, we look the same on the inside.” She elaborated that perspective by explaining an upcoming sixth grade classroom experiment. “To help students understand Dr. King’s petition for equal rights, students will get eggs of various colors: white, brown, red or blue. While each will look different, once the student cracks the egg, they’ll see they’re the same inside,” said Mrs. Sparks. “Any color egg can be used as an important ingredient to make a meal.”

She said the experiment will wrap up with a discussion about some of the specific things Dr. King did to fight for equality.

All schools in District 124 are incorporating various curriculum methods to educate students about equality ranging from- watching video clips of Dr. King’s speeches, to reciting his poems, to decorating bulletin boards and coloring sheets in the primary grades.

At Southwest School, fourth grade teacher Brittany Matheison said her classroom is celebrating Dr. King by focusing on the passion he had to see his dream realized.

“The kids are going to write two dreams: one for themselves and one for the world. They are going to cut them out and I’m going to string them together from a big cloud using blue yarn,” said Mrs. Matheison.

Her classroom door has a big cloud poster with Dr. King’s photo with a caption that reads “MLK had a dream…We have dreams too!”

District 124 Superintendent, Dr. Robert Machak, points out that celebrating the diversity among the student population is the cornerstone of the Culture goal in the District’s three-year strategic plan. “Dr. King challenged us to judge one another by the content of our character, and not by the color of our skin. That is something we are trying to do every day here,” Machak said, “not just once a year.”