Concord Middle School held an assembly on Friday, Feb. 27, to mark the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Ellen Garrison Building and to deepen the community’s understanding of its namesake. (Photo Courtesy Concord Public Schools)
CONCORD — Students and staff at Concord Middle School recently gathered for a schoolwide assembly to mark the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Ellen Garrison Building and to deepen the community’s understanding of the school’s namesake.
The assembly, which was held in partnership with The Robbins House, brought the entire school community together to learn more about Garrison’s life and lasting impact.
At the assembly, students watched the short film “Ellen Garrison: Scenes from an Activist’s Life,” which explores Garrison’s work as an abolitionist and advocate for civil rights.
Students then participated in an interactive program featuring an actress portraying Garrison. While in character, she responded to questions posed by the school’s Playbook Initiative Student Leaders. The questions were developed by advisory groups throughout the week leading up to the event, making the assembly both collaborative and student-driven.
Principal Justin Cameron thanked the partners and students who helped make the event possible.
“Through this all-school assembly, every middle school student, faculty member and staff member had the opportunity to engage with this history together,” Cameron said.
Cameron said students participated throughout the assembly in a respectful and thoughtful manner.
The partnership with The Robbins House, including collaboration with Executive Director Jen Turner, helped provide a meaningful learning experience for the entire school community.
“It was important that we continued to deepen our understanding of Ellen Garrison,” Cameron said. “There are far too many schools named after historically significant people whose stories remain unknown to the students and staff inside those buildings. We need to stay committed to making sure Ellen’s story is known, honored and part of the learning experience for every member of our school community.”
“Helping students understand the history of the people our schools are named after is an important part of connecting learning to the community around us,” said Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter. “Ellen Garrison’s story is a part of Concord’s history, and opportunities like this assembly encourages students and staff to further explore that history in a meaningful way.”
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During the assembly, students participated in an interactive program featuring an actress portraying Ellen Garrison. (Photo Courtesy Concord Public Schools)
In the week leading up to the assembly, student advisory groups developed questions that were later asked by Playbook Initiative Student Leaders to an actor portraying Ellen Garrison. (Photo Courtesy Concord Public Schools)