MLK Day: No School But Valuable Lessons

mlkMonday, January 19 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. There are no classes for students at Des Moines Public Schools on Monday, and teachers and associates do not report. DMPS offices will be open.

However, even though it is not a school day, it doesn’t mean some important lessons won’t be learned as many DMPS students will take part in a variety of events and activities to commemorate MLK Day and the work of the late civil rights leader.

Some schools have already been incorporating lessons relating to the work of MLK. Today, for example, students at Meredith Middle School held a peaceful march through school to express their views on a variety of issues (see a video clip here) while Samuelson Elementary School students sang “We Shall Overcome” as they marched through the hallways.

Other MLK Day events that students will take part in include:

  • On Sunday, members of Roosevelt High School’s Bridges to Harmony gospel choir will perform at a concert in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. The concert begins at 3:00 PM at First Christian Church (2500 University Avenue), where Dr. King spoke 56 years ago. The performance is free to the public.
  • At 4:00 PM on Monday, two students – Destiny Chea of Stowe Elementary School and Samantha Harris of Cowles Montessori School – will be honored as the winning essay writers at the Forest Avenue Library’s MLK Day Celebration.
  • Also on Monday, Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at North High School. The North High Gospel choir will also be performing. The event begins at 6:00 PM, and is free and open to the public. Dr. King will also speak to students at Hiatt Middle School on Tuesday at 10:00 AM.
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