Perseverance in the Face of Adversity

Click on the links below to view each grade level's contribution to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

On Friday, January 12, 2024 Northeast Elementary School hosted our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly.

The event began with a silent march to the multi-purpose room while listening to the “I have a Dream” speech playing over the intercom. Together in the multi-purpose room we heard the conclusion of the speech which inspired the room to erupt with applause.  

After Mr. Dey and a group of our chamber singers led us in the singing of “Lift Every Voice,” the 5th Grade recited an impactful portion of Dr. King’s speech to reinforce his message of togetherness and perseverance.

After a Mindfulness activity conducted by Ms. Kupperman, the ceremony continued with my opening remarks which focused on the importance of shared experiences that we can learn from and our impact on each other. Each grade level contributed a performance that served to keep us in a reflective and celebratory mood.

Taking the stage for the first time this year, the kindergarten sang “There was a Man”. The 1st grade performed “We Believe in the Dream”, which was authored by our very own Mrs. Gary. The 2nd grade recited “Life doesn’t frighten me at all” followed by the 3rd grade sharing an original piece “Hope, Peace, Love” Finally, the 4th grade emulated Maya Angelou with their rendition of “I Still Rise”.

Whenever we coordinate the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assembly, we will try to ensure that the event is not simply one moment in time. Rather, we choose a theme and another historical figure to emulate Dr. King’s message. This year our theme was “Perseverance in the Face of Diversity.”  Our notable figure was none other than Larry Doby. Mr. Doby was not only the second black major league baseball player (11 months after Jackie Robinson), first black player in the American League, first black player in a World Series and first black player to hit a homerun to win a World Series…. He is also the father of Northeast Elementary School Secretary, Mrs. Susan Robinson!

Mrs. Robinson treated the students to an interview where she shared the most impactful qualities and messages from her father. You could hear a pin drop as the audience engaged in this firsthand account of historical moments. A highlight was when Mrs. Robinson discussed a picture that was taken after Doby’s World Series winning homerun. In the photo, Doby is seen hugging his white teammate and pitcher, Steve Gromek. Mrs. Robinson’s words were, “The pure joy they felt, made them blind to any differences between them and that this picture was the first time a black man and white man were seen sharing a hug, which defined an important message and moment in history.”

This week I met with each grade this week in the multi-purpose room. My goal was to introduce the students to our theme and Larry Doby. It was important to share with them that while we are all inspired by Dr. King and hold him in revere, he too was inspired by people that led him to his mission and share “The Dream”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was only in high school at the time that Larry Doby became a trailblazer for civil rights. I punctuated the lesson by saying that just as they are sitting in school right now being inspired by others, one day we might be learning from their lessons of success.

Along with a bulletin board we created together about knocking adversity out of the park, I led Northeast students and staff in creating a school-wide painting. Every person in the school used a sponge brush to add to the artwork and sign their names. I kept the finished product concealed until today where it was revealed at the assembly!

As the Principal of Northeast Elementary School, I need to share how proud I am of our community. Not only did we come together and share this assembly together, but by everyone contributing to this painting, despite any difference that anyone could muster up between us, we all have this painting in common.
Introduction and 5th Grade Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade Dr. Putrino Interviewed Mrs. Susan Robinson, Daughter of Mr. Larry Doby