Second Grade Women in History Assembly
April 6, 2005

“In every generation … action frees our dreams.” Thus went the theme of the Short Hills campus assembly on Friday, April 1, 2005. In celebration of women’s history month, the second graders, boys and girls alike, speaking in first person, shared with the school and family members the life stories of more than a dozen remarkable doctors, athletes, writers, artists, and those who dared – all women – to make history. The presentation began with the images of famous women being displayed on an overhead projector and continued with each young student taking turns delivering their speech. Some dressed as the women they had researched, wearing traditional bonnets or athletic jerseys. All carried a doll of their creation that was made in the image of the woman they had profiled. The second graders spoke in character and detail the animated and entertaining stories of “their lives.” The memorable women included: Aviator Amelia Earhart, sharpshooter Annie Oakley, former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, famed painter Georgia O’Keeffe, and jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. The assembly was held in conjunction with a Dress-Down Day in which donations were collected and a canned good drive held for Jersey Battered Women’s Shelter. Not only did the students share fascinating facts about the groundbreaking women of the past, they also helped support the extraordinary ones of today. © 2005 The Pingry School