SWS IDEA Working Group
MLK Day of Service
January 15, 2024
The time is always right to do right."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
SWS Third Annual MLK Day of Service
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once said "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'what are you doing for others?'" The IDEA Working Group invite you to join us in answering this call to work toward racial, social, and economic justice.
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In partnership with Sasha Bruce, an organization dedicated to supporting DC's unhoused youth, we'll be creating self-care kits and love rocks. These kits, requested by Sasha Bruce, are designed to bring comfort and relaxation to the young people in their programs, including those at Bruce House right here in SWS's community. The love rocks we make will adorn the Bruce House garden, spreading messages of love and care from our community.
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We welcome the whole family to join us in the kit assembly at the SWS multipurpose room. This is a family event, so all students should come with at least one adult, and caregivers are kindly asked to supervise their little ones throughout.
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If you have any questions or need more information, please don't hesitate to reach out to Family IDEA Co-Chairs Jennifer Hicks and Tina Suliman. We truly hope you'll join us in contributing to the dream of a more just and compassionate world. Your participation makes a meaningful difference!
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WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
There are many different and important ways that you can be of service.
Each self-care kit will include notes and cards from SWS families with pictures and messages letting the recipient know you care.
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We will also be decorating rocks to help beautify Bruce House's garden. See the section "More About Love Rocks" below for information.
If you are not registered for the event, you can join us at 11:30 to place the rocks in the Sasha Bruce House garden.
Make a Love Rock or Kindness Note
More About Love Rocks
Bruce House, one of Sasha Bruce's emergency shelters, has an ongoing project to beautify the entrance to the building. They have requested that SWS students decorate rocks with messages of love, friendship, and hope. Earlier this year, some students created rocks with Ms. McLean.
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We will have a station for creating rocks outside of the school the week of January 8. You can also paint and decorate rocks at the service project on January 15.
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On the day of the service project, we will walk together to Bruce House to place the rocks we create in the garden.
Dig in Deeper
I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Since February 2021, the Family and Staff IDEA Working Groups have collaborated on a monthly community-wide book exploration, selecting a book that aligns with the month’s heritage celebration. This month, the exploration will focus on I Have a Dream, a book that beautifully illustrates Dr. King's famous speech.
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Every child at SWS will read and discuss the book in their classroom and in library class. During the kit assembly, we will have a kid-friendly discussion, drawing connections to the speech and grounding our service project in Dr. King's values of economic justice and social responsibility.
You and your family can engage further with this learning by using the book guide developed by the IDEA working groups. The guide contains a deeper exploration of the speech's themes and has discussion questions, resources, and activities for the whole family. Print copies will be sent home with each student, or you can download it below.