In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students at James H. Boyd attended an assembly in his honor on Jan 12. Student council co-presidents Brayden Klement and Ellie Mitola acted as masters of ceremony, introducing each tribute to King to the audience made up of peers, parents and administrators.

After a brief video presentation on the impact of Dr. King’s life and mission, students from Ms. Chiarello’s class each shared a piece of King’s biography, with bits of information such as his birthday, his involvement in the Civil Rights movement, his pledge to nonviolence, and more. The fifth-graders from Ms. McLeod’s and Ms. Reilly’s classes presented an anonymously penned poem about Dr. King, each reading a sentence. Students in Ms. Micchiche and Ms. Musto’s class read excerpts from King’s “I Have A Dream Speech” with passion.

In addition, select students from the third through fifth grade chorus sang two songs, “Martin Luther King” and “We Shall Overcome,” led by music teacher Linda Romano and math teacher Linda Scotto.

Principal Dr. Denise Toscano introduced Elwood Middle School student Matthew Charlotin, who was invited to the assembly to read an essay on Dr. King that he wrote.

“When I think of think of Martin Luther King Jr., I think of strength, passion, perseverance and an intellectual man who didn’t believe in violence—who used his inspired words to change the lives of everyone…and he was no ordinary man,” Charlotin said.

To conclude the ceremony, Dr. Toscano read a poem she wrote about her own dream – the dream of all humans being kind to one another.