Contributed
At the end of every school year at Clarkton School of Discovery, the 8th Grade students are treated to a special ceremony commemorating their “graduation” from middle school and celebrating their impending move to high school. In years past, that has included an “8th Grade Walk” out of the building for the last time, a prayer and a blessing on the school’s front lawn, and a release of balloons.
With the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus this year, that type of celebration is not possible. But the administration and staff of Clarkton School of Discovery have planned something equally as meaningful to honor their 8th Graders this year. The members of the school’s 8th Grade are invited to participate in a “Legacy Project,” and it’s going to forever commemorate the students’ status as Blue Devils.
The Legacy Project will allow each CSD 8th Grader to decorate a ceramic tile with art work, their name, or something that they think represents them and marks their time at the school. The tiles will then be sealed by the school’s staff and added to the school’s Alumni Garden as a memorial for this particular class,
“The tiles will represent the students’ legacy,” 8th Grade Team Leader Areda Rogers stated. “They will be permanent reminders to all who come after 2020 that these students were here at CSD, that they contributed to the growth of our school, and that they left their mark.”
The 4×4 tiles have been purchased by the school, and students may pick them up at CSD on Thursday, May 21, or on Friday, May 22. The pick-up will be drive-through ONLY in the car line at the front of the building. Students will also be offered three permanent markers to draw and write on their individual tiles, though they may use any other colors of markers they may have at home — as long as they are permanent markers. The students will then take the tiles home to decorate. The finished tiles will be returned to the school on the same day students turn in their Chrome books which will be on one of these days: May 28 (from 12-6), May 29 (from 9-3), June 1 (from 12-6), or June 2 (from 12-6).
Mrs. Rogers will also be sending the students a video showing them how to craft their tiles and giving them ideas on what to include.
“Each class here at CSD is special,” Mrs. Rogers stated. “This year’s class is a little more special because they ended their year in this surprise, non-traditional way. We don’t want them to be remembered as the class who ended their 8th Grade year during a pandemic; instead, we want them to be remembered for all of the fun, the learning, and the memories they had while they were at CSD. This Legacy Project will provide for that memory, and it will endure forever.”
CSD has a millennium sculpture that was constructed many years ago and stands as a focal point in the hallway outside the school’s guidance department. This year’s Legacy Project will serve the same function as the millennium sculpture — a record of the talents and presence of students from years past who made a difference as a Blue Devil.
“This project will ensure that our students leave a tangible legacy,” CSD Principal Stephanie Norris said. “Our staff remembers each and every child who came through our doors, but through this project, the students will be indelibly recorded in our school’s history.”
Students with questions may contact Mrs. Rogers through her school email (afrogers@bladen.k12.nc.us) or call the school (647-6531) for additional information.
Marsha H. Burney
8th Grade English
Clarkton School of Discovery
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.” (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
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