Sometimes all the news about construction and district policies and Board of Education activities masks news of the wonderful programs taking place at our schools. Here are just a few spotlights of what has been happening at our school sites since the New Year.
Last week, Maya Lin students joined readers, writers, and listeners from around the world to participate in World Read Aloud Day (WRAD). Founded by LitWorld in 2010, the event “celebrates the power of reading aloud to create community and amplify new stories, and to advocate for literacy as a foundational human right.”
During the day, nine award-winning authors visited the school virtually, including:
- Carole Lindstrom, author of the Caldecott Medal winning We are Water Protectors, who read My Powerful Hair and previewed her soon-to-be released book, The Gift of the Great Buffalo
- Bea Birdsong, who read her soon-to-be released book Goat Is the G.O.A.T. to Maya Lin first graders
- Josh Funk, who gave a group of Maya Lin first graders a sneak peak of his latest book in the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series, which will be released this fall
Marianne Dilworth, Maya Lin’s teacher librarian, organized the WRAD day at Maya Lin after learning about it at a California School Library Association conference she attended last year.
Art students at Island High School now have artwork hanging on the second floor of the Main Library. The project merged portraiture with reflections on the Season for Non-Violence.
During the Season, which runs from January 30 (the anniversary of Mohandas Gandhi’s death) and April 4 (the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s death), people around the world pledge to reflect on words and readings about non-violence.
For this lesson, Island High students studied a variety of diverse portraits, practiced drawing facial features, and then created a final piece using the media of their choice. Some drew themselves; others chose to draw a family member. Each piece also connects to a word that comes from the Season for Non-Violence, such as “truth,” “humility,” “peace,” and “witnessing.”
The artwork will remain on display through April 26.
Alameda High School students also displayed their art this month, when the AHS Diversity Committee held its annual Art Gallery at Phoenix on January 29. The show included more than 30 student art works, including digital art and animation, as well as more than 150 nature photographs, which were submitted as part of a contest organized by the student Environmental Committee.
“Every month, we dedicate our time and effort into promoting different cultures, minorities, and allowing everyone to be noticed,” Brissia Perdomo Coreas, the committee’s commissioner. “In January, we celebrated International Creativity Month, which brought in the idea of showcasing all of the beautiful and talented art many AHS Students create.”
The show has been held at the Phoenix for the past four years because of its “coziness and its beautiful space,” Coreas says. “It truly makes it feel like you’re in an actual art gallery.”
We love hearing about these wonderful programs for students and appreciate the extra work that students, staff, and families put into bringing them to our school sites!
Susan Davis is the Senior Manager of Community Affairs for the Alameda Unified School District. Reach her at [email protected].
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