Students engage in learning and leadership during Black History Month

Throughout February, schools across the Francis Howell School District celebrated Black History Month with meaningful learning experiences and engaging activities.

At Francis Howell High School, MAC Scholars took part in their annual field trip to district elementary schools, where they read books to students and shared the importance of the month. Elementary students also enjoyed a performance by Howell High’s step team.

At Bryan Middle School, art teacher Lauren Manganelli displayed posters of influential Black artists and incorporated them into her lesson plans. Eighth-grade students researched each artist, adding fun facts and sample artwork to the displays. In addition, Bryan’s morning announcements featured short, student-led lessons highlighting notable Black historical figures.

John Weldon Elementary art teacher Meredith Genail introduced a series of Black History Month–inspired art projects. Students explored the styles and techniques of the Gee’s Bend quilters, Kimmy Cantrell, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Reggie Laurent and Romare Bearden. Projects included creating vibrant masks, expressive paintings, layered collages and jazz-inspired artwork. Some students also used looms to create pieces inspired by traditional African weaving designs.

Central Elementary concluded the month with a schoolwide assembly led by teacher Sherrill Jones. Students shared poetry, and both student and staff step teams delivered spirited performances. The celebration ended with a sing-along of “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers.

Francis Howell Middle School held a door decorating contest that challenged classes to choose lesser-known Black historical figures, share a photo and a quote about their impact. Additionally, students played a 30-second "Guess Who" game every other morning throughout February featuring Black historical figures.