Freedom School: Week Five

Jambo Freedom School Parents,

Week five has come to an end and this week was eventful as well as socially conscious for the scholars and staff.  We started of the week with fun activities and of course the integrated reading curriculum which helps advance the scholars reading and personal growth. Mid-week there was a very special birthday, Site Coordinator, Mr. O celebrated his birthday with the scholars as they sang happy birthday and created a banner with signatures from all of the scholars as well as the staff.

Folwell Park Freedom School teamed up with North Commons YMCA Freedom School for social action day. The two topics that we decided to focus on was child hunger and gun violence. These topics are serious within the community we live in and an important issue world-wide.

Level 1 scholars (K-2 grade) discussed child hunger and “food insecurity,” meaning the lack of access to enough food for all household members, and the effects that it can cause amongst children. 1 in 6 children in America face hunger and more than 49 million Americans struggle to put food on the table. More than 1 in 5 children is at risk of hunger. Among African-Americans and Latinos, it’s 1 in 3. The lack of food can cause fatigue, poor attention span and insecurity among peers. The awareness level about this issue has increased and the light that has been shed on child hunger will greatly affect the scholars lives and their perspective on this particular topic.

Level 2 (3-5 grade) and level 3 (6-8 grade) scholars discussed gun violence. Scholars shared their stories with gun violence and connected with their peers on a deeper level. The scholars made posters to help protest against the use and act of gun violence happening in the community. Friendships were formed and lives were transformed by actively working together.

After making posters the scholars got to let out some energy by dancing and getting hype while William “Bakeshow” Baker played some hits on the 1’s and 2’s. The enthusiastic atmosphere made the scholars and the staff get on their feet to start grooving and shaking!

Parents and families, please feel free to copy, save or print the images of your scholars. Our mission is to ensure a safe and fun environment for all of the scholars here at Folwell Park Freedom School. Also, be sure to check on this website for weekly updates of your scholars.