Montclair Honors Martin Luther King Today

Every year, Montclair holds an array of events designed to honor Martin Luther King Jr. And this year is no different. Here are just a few events going on around town.

The 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Breakfast
What: The 23rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Breakfast will be on Monday, January 16. This year the speaker will be Mr. Thomas Reynolds, President of the Montclair Chapter of the NAACP.
Where: Montclair High School’s George Inness Annex, 141 Park Street, Montclair.
When: Monday, January 16 at 9:30 a.m.
Cost: Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for students. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door. For more information and to reserve your seat at this occasion, please call 973-746-2826.

Schools have planned classroom activities and days of service activities in his honor. Here are some highlights below. The public is invited to many of these events.

On Mon., Jan. 16, Bradford will be hosting its second annual “Martin Luther King Day of Service.” The school will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and students may participate in a variety of different service activities to honor the memory of Dr. King. There will be several stations/booths set up so that our students can learn about different ways to help others in need. Some of the stations include peeling carrots to make a soup for Toni’s Kitchen, and creating an art project related to Dr. King to help decorate a school in Guatemala. Families can also donate baby goods to the Human Needs Food Pantry, which is in dire need of diapers, wipes, formula, baby snacks, teethers, and bath toys.

Glenfield will have two assemblies, one for 6th and 7th graders and one for 8th graders in its auditorium. The MLK tribute will include singing, dancing, acting, and music from our Jazz Band. Students will watch Dr. King's infamous speech at the Lincoln Memorial in DC as well as read another of his captivating speeches.

Northeast’s school wide recognition took place at its annual MLK assembly which is scheduled for Fri., Jan. 13. There were several performances that included song and dance and a poetry reading.

Watchung students created dramatic role play about "doing the right thing"; learned songs about peace; created freedom bells; wrote poems about peace; discussed "I Have a Dream" speech; reflected on the legacy of Dr. King.

Nishuane has been participating in its Annual Kindness & Justice Challenge, which is designed to recognize students and adults who demonstrate acts of kindness and justice to others both in school and at home. Teachers read about Dr. King with the children and discuss his important message throughout this six week program and encourage students to remember to behave in kind and just ways. This message is reinforced at home as the program is part of the School Action Team parent/teacher committee. Each act results in the addition of another link to our school-wide chain of kindness and justice that is displayed in the auditorium (last year's wrapped around the entire room more than twice) where we join together for our annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly.  Performances are offered by various classes in celebration of the life and work of Dr. King — slideshows, interactive timelines, poetry readings, songs, etc.

Art classes at Renaissance are creating an "I Have a Dream" Dream Banner, wall hangings in which each student in the school will have an opportunity to add (or 'tag') his/her dream for the future of the world to the banner. The dance classes will look at a small excerpt from The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" and create a 30-second movement study based upon the ideas, ideals and emotions, evoked by the reading of the excerpt. Seventh-grade students will participate in a dynamic multimedia presentation about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. The event includes speeches, pictorial timelines, stories, music, a film from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Students will create posters to honor the lesser known proponents or victims of the civil rights movement. Other classes will listen to Dr. King’s speech and also be studying other great African-Americans and Africans, including Nelson Mandela.

The Charles H. Bullock School will hold its 12th Annual “Day On” during the morning of MLK Day, Mon., Jan. 16. Families prepare hot meals for shut-ins normally served by the Montclair Red Cross. They pack up the food at Bullock in the morning and deliver it as a family to the shut-ins after a celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy. This year’s activities include performances by the Glenfield Middle School Jazz Band and Maya Workman’s Drum Circle in addition to activities including a life quilt made by the students, an All the Crayons in the Box activity, making pins for students and their families to wear, and a photojournalism display created by students to record the day’s events.

From Fri., Jan. 13 through Mon., Jan. 16, students at Edgemont are invited to participate in the annual observance of the life and legacy of Dr. King by performing Random Acts of Kindness, Compassion and Service. On Thurs., Jan.19, a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly will be held. Edgemont's Orff Ensemble and Chamber Chorus will perform. The Edgemont Student Council will take turns reciting Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech and students who participated in Random Acts of Kindness will receive a certificate from Principal Cheryl Hopper. In addition, discussions in the classrooms about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will take place.

The 4th Annual Mt. Hebron MLK Day On for Community Service is Mon., Jan. 16. This year Mt. Hebron is collecting children and young adult books for St. Joe's Hospital, making hygiene kits (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, disposable razors, etc.) for Toni's Kitchen and collecting nonperishable food and bed linens for the Human Needs Food Pantry.

To celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Hillside presented its annual assembly on Fri., Jan. 13. Various music, dance, and spoken word selections were presented. On Mon., Jan. 16 Americans across the country will celebrate the national holiday honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thousands will remember Dr. King by serving in their communities, making the holiday “a day on,” not “a day off.” Hillside families will participate by preparing gift bags for seniors in the community; reading and coloring with Live Y’ers at the Montclair YMCA Family Center, 159 Glenridge Avenue for 30 minutes between 9:45-10:15 a.m., 10:30-11 a.m. and 11:15-11:45 a.m.; and will collect food donations at King’s Supermarket, Valley Road, 12-3 p.m.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Black History Month are very important times of the year where students learn more and more about African American history. It is a time for all students to reflect on our not so distance past and envision our future. Montclair High School students witness learning via visual and performing arts, poetry, and lecture.This is our chance to ensure that the student community is informed about African-American history and particularly African-American History right here in Montclair. Some activities taking place at MHS include: students in US History II will see a movie presentation on Dr. King; 120 students will view the new film “Red Tails”; the Black Student Union will participate in a service project of beautification of MHS campus on Jan. 17 and a future date in February. Science department classes will view the film “Eyes on the Prize” which depicts critical points in the Civil Rights Movement, particularly those associated with Martin Luther King Jr. Following the video, students will engage in a teacher led discussion regarding how the Civil Rights Movement has impacted science/technology in today’s America. The Classical and Modern Language teachers will provide enrichment activities for students during the months of January and February honoring Dr. Martin Luther King’s work and for Black History Month such as studies of African-American artists, athletes, singers, writers and more.