Every April, two celebrations arrive together at Berkeley Carroll, Arab American Heritage Month and National Poetry Month. This year, the Lower School marked both in a single, joyful assembly at the Athletic Center, and the result was exactly what a Berkeley Carroll gathering should be: full of voices, full of community, and full of heart.

The assembly opened with a meaningful cross-division visit. Members of the Middle School's Middle Eastern and North African Affinity Group (MENA) made their way over to share their own stories, speaking about their identities and highlighting the cultures, contributions, and histories of Arab Americans. For Lower Schoolers, seeing older students show up to share something personal is its own kind of lesson: that identity is worth celebrating, that stories are worth telling, and that community stretches across hallways and grade levels.

Then came the poems.

Three second graders stepped up to read original works, some written independently, some crafted as a class collaboration, bringing their own voices and visions to the page. Associate Teacher Ashley Mays added to the moment by sharing a poem they had written for the Lower School community, modeling what it looks like for every member of the BC community to be a writer and a storyteller. There was also a reading from the youngest members of the BC community: the BC 3s, whose poem brought the kind of delight only the littlest Lions can deliver.

But perhaps the most spirited moment came when the entire Lower School became one collective poet. Together, students contributed single words that remind them of spring, and saw those words become something more:

Spring 

by The Berkeley Carroll Lower School

 

Leaves 

Flowers 

Trees 

Blooming 

Crickets 

Happiness 

Apples 

Insects 

Bees 

Laughter 

Chirps

Simple, honest, and completely their own, and that’s the point. A celebration of identity, community, and springtime at Berkeley Carroll.

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