Arroyo Vista Elementary | Black History Month Celebration

PHOTO: Arroyo Vista Elementary | South Pasadenan.com News | Arroyo Vista Elementary School celebrates Black History Month.

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We are so proud to be celebrating Black History Month at Arroyo Vista. While we have honored tremendous figures like Martin Luther King Jr and Harriet Tubman in past years, this is the first year we are celebrating the Black leaders of today as well as recognizing the past. The members of AV Equity Committee have joined forces to put together several ways we can all appreciate and honor the Black community.

The AV campus is decorated in Pan African colors with banners and posters both inside and outside of the gates. Each of the posters admire 8 Black leaders in Arts and Sciences who are making strides in our world today. We are using this month to not only honor these amazing figures, but to also educate and celebrate Black achievement in many other ways. The library has a Black History Month book display with books featuring our leaders as well as books created by Black authors and illustrators.

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PHOTO: Arroyo Vista Elementary | South Pasadenan.com News | Arroyo Vista Elementary School celebrates Black History Month.

Our Art Docents have put together two collaborative art projects. The younger classes will be creating a quilt out of construction paper inspired by the women in Gee’s Bend Alabama’s multi patterned creations they have been making since the 19th century. Grades 3rd-5th will be working with yarn and paper to create works inspired by vibrant fiber artists like Xenobia Bailey and Nick Cave. Both grades work will be displayed through March on campus.

PHOTO: Arroyo Vista Elementary | South Pasadenan.com News | Arroyo Vista Elementary School celebrates Black History Month.

The Equity Committee has put together resource lists to spotlight local Black-owned businesses as well as a book donation program for our AV library through a local bookseller. Thank you to Mrs. Baydaline for her support in creating a display that not only features historical figures, but also books with black main characters as well as Black authors.

A brief list of school activities celebrating Black History Month:

  • Education
    • Selection of books for multiple ages displayed in the library.
    • Book donation program from the AV community. Our vetted list of books are available on a Wishlist and are by Black authors, have Black main characters, or discuss people/subjects in the Black community. 
  • Instagram
    • IG posts and stories featuring  Black leaders in Arts and Sciences: Misty Copeland, Amanda Gorman, Jason Reynolds, Vashti Harrison, Lonnie Johnson, Jessica Watkins, Neil De Grasse Tyson, Kizzmekia Corbett. Each post will be multi-slide with photos and captions not only describing the featured leader, but also resources to learn more about them and their chosen field (i.e. children’s books and easily accessible documentaries.)
    • IG posts feature the collaborative school wide art project. 
    • IG posts featuring Black businesses in our community.
  • School Décor
    • Arroyo Vista has been decorated in honor of BHM with banners, streamers and other celebratory décor on the inside and outside of the campus.
    • Posters have been hung on the gates of the school with photos and info on our 8 featured Black Leaders. Each week new ones are hung for the community to see.
  • Assembly
    • Assembly was presented to the AV community on Friday, February 4th
    • Topics covered: Creation of BHM, who is Black in the US, leaders in Arts and Sciences. 
    • Quiz: Short quiz for the kids to learn more about the 8 leaders
    • Ended with short video presentation featuring families answering the following questions:
      • What does celebrating BHM mean to you?
      • Why is it important for our school to celebrate, take part and engage students to learn about BHM?
  • Art Project
    • Two collaborative art projects created by the Art Docent Co-Chairs. 
    • Tk-2nd: Influenced by Alabama’s Gee’s Bend quilting projects – Students will create a “quilt square” out of construction paper. Once squares are gathered, the AV Art Docents will put them together in a large quilt to display on campus.
    • 3rd-5th: Influenced by fiber artist Zenobia Bailey and textile artist Nick Cave. Each student will be creating pieces ala Zenobia focused on concentric circles, bright colors and bold patterns. Each pattern created by the students in each class will be put together in a collaborative piece displayed by the school.
    • All projects will be featured on campus in the month of March. 
PHOTO: Arroyo Vista Elementary | South Pasadenan.com News | Arroyo Vista Elementary School celebrates Black History Month.