Question contests, student readings, assembly programs and an African drumming workshop are some of the ways Churchville-Chili Junior High School (CCJHS) students celebrated Black History Month. During the morning announcements, selected students read a brief synopsis of the lives of famous Black Americans. Students learned about York, a well-known slave, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Frederick Douglass. David Andersen, a local artist, storyteller and author, presented an assembly program on African American History for seventh and eighth grade students. Also during the morning announcements, staff members read an African American history question. Students were encouraged to research and submit their answers at the Junior High School Media Center. Winners received a paperback book written by an African American and a candy bar. Richard Dunham, CCJHS assistant principal and expert on African drumming, presented an African drumming workshop to percussion students. Dunham taught students about the history of djembe drumming. The djembe drum, pronounced jembe, is from West Africa and is made from a hollowed tree log with a goatskin as the drumhead. After Dunham gave a demonstration on how to use the djembe drum, students tried their hand at drumming. |
