Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday was made into a national holiday with the assistance of Stevie Wonder, with special lyrics from his "Happy Birthday" song. #BlackHistoryMonth
Daniel Hale Williams, the first person to successfully conduct open-heart surgery, also opened the first racially integrated hospital in 1891. #BlackHistoryMonth
Attention, VPES Students! Don't forget that this Friday is Spring picture day! Can't wait to see those Hawk smiles! #VPpride #VPEHawkWay
Public Schools Week is an annual week-long celebration dedicated to honoring the invaluable contributions and achievements of educators and education advocates in our public schools and the communities they serve. Led by the Learning First Alliance (LFA), a coalition of 13 national education groups with a collective membership exceeding 10 million, Public Schools Week invites the education community, parents, lawmakers and others to join us in spotlighting our nation’s public schools and the dedicated individuals behind them. #HereForTheKids #VPPride
Robert L. Johnson, America's first Black billionaire, is also the first Black majority owner of a major American sports team, the Charlotte Bobcats. #BlackHistoryMonth
These 3 candidates are running to fill the 2 open spots for the VPSD Board of Education election on 4/2/24. The candidates appear here in the order in which they'll appear on the official ballot. Read more about each candidate www.vpschools.org/boardcandidates #VPpride
Congratulations to our Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) team who qualified to compete at the state LifeSmarts competition and placed fourth! Read all about it here! https://www.vpschools.org/article/1476496 #VPPride
Matthew Henson, the first Black Arctic explorer, was navigator, craftsman and "first man" to the famed Robert Peary. They traveled together on seven voyages over twenty-three years, and Henson planted the American flag at the North Pole in 1909. #BlackHistoryMonth
John Lewis, U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th district, was the last surviving member of the "Big Six" leaders, who planned the March on Washington in 1963. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. #BlackHistoryMonth
We've got spirit! Yes we do! The Booster Club Spirit Store is now open! Follow the link to get all your Hawk's spirit gear to cheer on your favorite team! #GoHawks #VPPride www.vpschools.org/vpgear
Bessie Coleman was the first Black woman to become a pilot. She grew fascinated with the stories of returning WWI pilots and went to France in 1920 to pursue her dream of getting into aviation. She was awarded her international pilot's license in June 1921. #BlackHistoryMonth
With Proposition B, the Valley Park School District aims to enhance and modernize our schools, fostering personalized, student-centered, and secure learning atmospheres for all. An example of one potential project includes upgrading science labs. This deliberate allocation of resources in our district actively promotes student education with ZERO tax increase. If approved, Prop B will repair, renovate, and restore every school, classroom, and restroom in our district, modernize many of our learning spaces, improve our safety and security efforts district-wide, and address critical infrastructure needs. For more information visit www.vpschools.org/propb
Jackie Robinson not only became the first Black man to play on a major sports team, but during college a UCLA, he was the first student to letter in four different sports in a single season. #BlackHistoryMonth
In 1821, Thomas L. Jennings became the first Black person to receive a US patent. The patent was for "dry scouring," an early form of dry cleaning. #BlackHistoryMonth
All members of the Golden Club are welcome to join us for this enjoyable event, showcasing performances by our VPMS and VPHS choirs, the VPHS band, and VPES choral singers. RSVP required by 2/26/24 to Jaime Gast at jgast@vpschools.org or 636-923-3690. See you there! #VPPride
Cathay Williams was the one and only female Buffalo Soldier. In 1866, she posed as a man named William Cathay to enlist in the 38th infantry. She served for two years before a doctor discovered she was a woman, leading her to discharge. #BlackHistoryMonth
Inventor of the three-way traffic signal, Garrett Morgan, became the first Black person to own a car in Cleveland, Ohio. #BlackHistoryMonth
Aretha Franklin was not only the first Black woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she was the first woman. #BlackHistoryMonth
Legendary tennis player Arthur Ashe was the first Black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team. He remains the only Black man to have won the singles title at Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open. #BlackHistoryMonth
Barack Obama attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude. He was the first Black editor of the Harvard Law Review. #BlackHistoryMonth
