Lighting a Path to Last a Lifetime

Mendham Township, NEW JERSEY (February 24, 2023) – The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for the Mendham Township School District (MTSD) holds fast and firm to its fundamental principles when it comes to planning their Cultural Awareness Program for students: the PTO wants to embrace and celebrate the diversity that exists in the world around us, “because children who learn to appreciate the differences around them will feel more comfortable and safe with these differences not only in their growing and formative years, but later in life as well.” These latter words were shared by Ms. Laurie Weinberg and Ms. Sana Shahmehdi, Cultural Arts Co-Chairs of the MTSD PTO. In discussing the Cultural Awareness Program, these two women speak evenly and eloquently about their commitment to creating a program that will not only educate students about different heritages but will also set students on a path to honor and celebrate diverse cultures.

In planning the objectives and program content for the upcoming school year, the PTO Cultural Arts Committee partners with the school district’s Administration to complement, reinforce, and elaborate upon the curriculum being covered in the classrooms. Assemblies provide a perfect forum not only to deliver an educational experience, but ideally, they can be informative and insightful, fun and thought-provoking, and create memorable learning experiences for students to take with them as they continue to learn in life. The goal of these assemblies is to bring understanding and acceptance and allow the students to feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.

Sometimes, the PTO will select the same performance and/or speaker for the assemblies at both the Mendham Township Elementary School (MTES) and the Mendham Township Middle School (MTMS). At other times, for example celebrating Black History Month in February, there will be a different assembly for the elementary school than for the middle school. These decisions are made to ensure alignment with the curriculum and that the performance content is age appropriate. For Black History Month, the PTO has organized two different presentations for the schools. Younger students at MTES will have an opportunity to listen to the dramatic presentation of “Freedom Stories,” as told by TAHIRA. This gifted storyteller shares dramatic tales of freedom fighters and the tremendous risks they took for their freedom. Older students in the middle school will attend the high-energy assembly on “The Civil Rights Movement,” performed by Hip Hop Fundamentals. This assembly focuses on student involvement in the American Civil Rights movement through dance, audience participation, and a variety of interactive activities. The dancers tackle racism, segregation, and the struggle for freedom in a safe, family friendly atmosphere.

Ms. Jessica Couto and Ms. Melissa Saharko are the Co-presidents for the MTSD PTO, and they explained that “The objectives of the PTO Cultural Arts Committee are to inspire students and to help light a path that makes students feel comfortable and accepting in a diverse world.” The students are energized and engaged by the performances and the topics addressed in their school assemblies. Ms. Weinberg smiles as she explains how members of the PTO “are grateful to the artists and speakers that deliver these important messages …and our hearts are warmed and we are inspired by the students and their enthusiastic reactions.”

Dr. Salvatore Constantino, Superintendent of Schools in Mendham Township, thanked the members of the MTSD PTO for their tremendous support and the wonderful school assembly presentations provided to students during the school year. He added, “As a district, we believe it is essential to honor and celebrate the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. During Black History Month, our schools will be hosting a variety of activities and events, including classroom discussions, guest speakers, and cultural performances. We hope these experiences will not only educate our students about the important role of African Americans in shaping our society but also inspire and empower our students to grow into active members of their own communities."