Dear Parents,

February is Black History Month and we read many newly released children’s books about influential Black Americans and also learned about Black inventors both in-person and virtually. In our classroom, we created a gallery displaying our collection of books about Black History Month. Below are just a few of the books we read last week and some of the lessons we explored during our read-alouds:

We started the week with the book Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris and illustrated by Marissa Valdez. This book reminds kids that anyone who’s ever been underestimated or overshadowed can find the inspiration to never give up and relentlessly pursue what they want.

The next book was There is a Girl Headed to The White House by Dr. Jasmine Killiebrew and Illustrated by Lily Quintana R. This book is about Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to become the Vice President of the United States.

The next book was Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris and illustrated by Ana Ramirez Gonzalez. Based on their true story, the story is about two sisters, Kamala and Maya, who show that with hard work dreams can and will come true.

Our last book was I Look Up to Oprah Winfrey by Anna Membrino and illustrated by Fatti Burke. With direct quotes from Oprah herself on every page, this book taught us that you can achieve anything you set your mind to.  I also spoke to the children about my experience attending Oprah Winfrey’s “2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus” tour in February 2020 in New York, which featured former First Lady Michelle Obama. 

We also learned about Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to fly on a space shuttle named the Endeavor and Garret Morgan, a Black inventor who invented the 3-color traffic light. This invention is something we see coming and going to school and helps keep people safe while driving. We learned a song by singer Ben Harper named “With My Own Two Hands.” We sang his song while practicing kindness and reminding each other that our two hands can change the world. 

While we do our projects and activities, we build our fine motor skills by using crayons and colored pencils. We did so many enriching activities related to our theme of the month and we also made time to create beautiful Valentine’s Day cards for our parents, classmates, and our friends in PSA, PSC, and our friends at home. 

We are very grateful for all of the loving staff members who visited our classroom at a distance to help make Valentine's Day a big success. We are also very thankful to SAPA for their constant hard work and love.

Please continue to send your children in appropriate winter clothes and shoes as we plan to utilize outside areas during the school day. We appreciate your support while we navigate these different waters to deliver the highest quality education to our students.

With Warmest Regards.
PSB Team