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Although the festivities took place a day later than the marked off on the calendar, Hewlett Elementary School gathered the entire student body to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., while also kicking off the celebration for a special school anniversary.
To celebrate King, HES hosted its Brotherhood-Sisterhood assembly on Jan. 21. The students in grades first through fifth sang songs dedicated to the civil rights leader and were led on the keyboard by Thomas Sugar, the school’s music teacher for the past 18 years. “The children help me write the lyrics for the song in class,” Sugar said. “It’s always fun singing the songs with the children.”
First-year HES assistant principal Ross Cohen believes it is important that children understand and learn what King accomplished. “We’re trying to raise awareness for our students to be good, caring people just like Dr. King was,” Cohen said. “What better way to honor the legacy of Dr. King then by bringing all of our students together in one place.”
Principal Colleen O’Hara thinks the assembly is necessary though it was post-MLK Day. The federal holiday has been observed on the third Monday in January since 1986. “This is such an important occasion because of how important of a man Dr. King was,” O’Hara said. “Just being off from school wasn’t enough to honor him. Here at Hewlett Elementary, we teach our students to be bridge builders and live through our core values of caring for others, which is what Dr. King displayed in his life.”
King was born in 1929, the same year that HES opened. O’Hara outlined some of the events the school will hold to commemorate the 90th anniversary. “Jan. 31 will be the 90th day of the school year. In response, we will have a 90s-themed day at the school where the students will be able to dress in 1990s accessories,” she said, adding that there are also plans for a springtime backyard bash with details being finalized. Fifth grade students are also working on designing an anniversary logo. All students and staff wore blue T-shirts that commemorated the anniversary.
O’Hara, who was an assistant principal at Hewlett Elementary for five years before becoming principal in 2018, is appreciate of being the school’s leader for this monumental anniversary.
“It’s truly an honor to be the principal of the school during the 90th anniversary,” she said. “I have been privileged to work with the dedicated and caring staff, supportive parents, and wonderful children who make Hewlett Elementary such a special place. I’m excited for the anniversary festivities to kick off.”
