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Sun Valley Middle School students give dream performance in honor of Dr . Martin Luther King , Jr .
A small group of Sun Valley Middle school students received a standing ovation Friday , Jan . 13 following a touching performance about the life of Dr . Martin Luther King , Jr .
“ I ’ m so proud of them ,” said their teacher , Amelia Polk . “ They gave it all they had , and they learned a lot about Dr . King , things they didn ’ t know .”
The play began with a moving reenactment of a young Dr . King who became angry when asked to move to the back of the bus , as was the law at the time .
Eighth grader Jordan Johnson ’ s passionate portrayal of Dr . King had many in the audience wiping their eyes . At the end of the play , Jordan recited a portion of Dr . King ’ s well-known speech , “ I Have a Dream .” “ I wasn ’ t nervous . It was fun ,” Jordan said afterward . “ It was an honor to play Dr . King .” Moved to tears , SVMS principal Vicki Merritt told students their play was one of the best performances she had witnessed in her 20 years as an educator . “ I ’ m so moved by the work that you ’ ve done ,” Merritt said . “ The character that all of you have exhibited during this performance is really a reflection of who you are .” Sun Valley Middle teacher assistant Janet Coyle came up with the idea for the play , with the help of fellow teacher assistant Lauren Barnes . Polk said she was very excited about the play and its impact on the students . “ When we asked the students what they knew about Dr . King , they really didn ’ t know a lot . So this gave us a chance to open their eyes and teach them some history about him .”
As students received well-deserved pats on the back after the play , eighth grader Elliott Hulsey shared his respect for Dr . King .
“ He was a great man ,” Elliott said . “ He fought for the rights of others , and he fought to make it possible that all men would be treated equally .”
Eighth grader Trey Simpson , who served as the play ’ s narrator , also commented on Dr . King .
“ I think Dr . King was a very brave man ,” Trey said . “ He was a civil rights leader and fought for the right for African Americans to vote and to be able to sit anywhere on the bus they wanted .”
At the end of the performance , all students shared their personal dreams for the future . Some are given below :
I have a dream that all people will get along with each other .
I have a dream that there will be no more bullying .
I have a dream that everyone will have a good home .
I have a dream that people will unite for good and fight against bad .
I have a dream that all people will be honest .
— This article was provided by the Union County Public Schools Communications Office .
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Eighth grader Jordan Johnson recites a portion of Dr . Martin Luther King Jr .’ s “ I Have a Dream ” speech .
Sun Valley Middle School students take time for a Kodak moment with their teachers following their play about Dr . Martin Luther King , Jr .
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Parent Teacher Magazine • Mar / Apr 2017 • 15