Shoreham-Wading River School District

SWR Middle School hosts Black History program

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Yasmin Wamala and Breshay Wigglesworth of Imani Dance Ensemble perform Friday morning at Albert G. Prodell Middle School.

Students at Albert G. Prodell Middle School read essays about dreams for their world inspired by The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and their hopes for the future during Friday morning’s Black History program, the first of its kind at the school.

The seventh and eighth-grade students were treated to African Dance workshops by the Imani Dance Ensemble from Hofstra University. The Ensemble was formed in 1972 to provide the community with an outlet for cultural expression through dance.

Students in the band, orchestra and chorus performed the theme song “Dry your tears, Afrika” from the movie “Amistad.”

The program, which students and teachers had been preparing for since the beginning of the month, was part of the new professional development program that was instituted in the district this year.

Superintendent Steven Cohen said the Board of Education and the teacher’s union agreed this year to the weekly workshops and he’s excited about the district’s new approach to professional development.

“They agreed having a little professional development all of the time is better than having it in big chunks,” he said. “It’s more tailored to individual needs and it’s the teachers driving the process.”

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