Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Everybody can be great, because anyone can serve.” Hoboken Charter School students are taking that saying to heart.
The coldest of weather could not stop 230 students from giving back to the community and celebrating the ideology of King last week.
Instead of marching on Washington Street, as they do annually to celebrate King’s legacy, the students practiced the reverend’s message at its core meaning and planned Friday morning to deliver dozens of bags of food to a local food bank, In Jesus’ Name, which provides food, clothing and other aid to the poor families in Hoboken. Students said when the weather is as cold as it has been, it’s especially important that everyone has food on their table.
The students have been conducting a month-long drive for food, clothing and toys. They were scheduled to stay at the pantry all afternoon Friday sorting and shelving the items that were delivered.
Also on Friday, the students made flower arrangements and decorated placemats for the Hoboken Homeless Shelter, and packaged soap that had been donated by Dr. Bronner, a soap company, for residents of the shelter. “It’s important that we celebrate Dr. King’s life,” said Hoboken Charter School 4th grader Alexa Yacker. “He taught us that we should treat everybody equally.”
She added that donating food to those less fortunate exemplifies the principles that King preached.
All across the country, tributes and memorial services for King will be held. In Jersey City, local churches and schools have planned activities honoring the memory of King and his contributions to society.
Every year, Hoboken Charter School and the Hoboken Rotary Club demonstrate that people of all backgrounds may come together in a spirit of mutual respect, especially during this trying time in the nation’s history. “He taught us what it means to really be free,” said fifth grader A.J. Watson.
This coming Monday
On Martin Luther King Day, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the charter school will host a full roster of activities called “The Sights and Sounds of the Civil Rights Movement” at All Saints Parish, 707 Washington St., which will showcase exhibits and artistic performances related to the themes of justice, civil rights and peace.
Included on Monday will be “Sing Out for Justice,” a program of blues, jazz, gospel, spirituals and freedom songs. There will also be a civil rights exhibit with a variety of student-created works about the life and times of King.
In addition to enjoying the music and taking in the student-made exhibit, there will be craft activities, such as decorating a bag that will be used by God’s Love We Deliver, an organization delivering donated food packages to homebound people and people living with AIDS.
Another activity will be button-making, a time-honored tradition that was useful in spreading political messages during the Civil Rights Movement.
Service learning
Charter schools are public schools entirely funded by state and local taxpayer money. The difference between charter schools and other public schools is that charter schools do not report to the city’s Board of Education. The school has a Board of Trustees that handles questions about curriculum and administration.
One of the guiding tenets of the Hoboken Charter School is teaching social responsibility and activism. The catchphrase for this type of philosophy is service learning, a method whereby students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in and meets the needs of the community. Leading educators report that effective service learning programs improve academic grades, increase attendance in school, and develop personal and social responsibility.
“A complete education teaches a student to look at the world around them and teaches them to practice acts of compassion and service,” said Jill Singleton, charter school director.