Clarke Northampton is celebrating February with the theme “Many Voices Sing,” a tribute to Amanda Gorman’s book, Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem. Month-long activities included musical sessions with World Music percussionist, Tony Vacca.
The initiative is part of Clarke’s organization-wide work on anti-bias education, which incorporates themes of deaf identity, multicultural identity, friendship, caring, differences, similarities, justice and activism.
Tony visited Clarke Northampton to lead group sessions exploring percussion, rhythm and harmony with students from preschool through sixth grade.
The activities culminated with a day of music and activities that included Clarke team members. Staff and students came together for a presentation of “Many Voices Sing” based on Amanda’s book.
“The book and our theme naturally integrate components of our curriculum including language, social studies, social-emotional learning, music, art and more,” said Claire Troiano, Director of Mainstream Services and Educational Administrator of the K-8 Program at Clarke Northampton.
“Music-making, dance, reading, storytelling and performance help to bring listening and language to life for our students who are deaf or hard of hearing,” said Marian Hartblay, Director of Early Childhood Services at Clarke Northampton. “Seeing the students excited and engaged, especially in our final presentation of Amanda Gorman’s book, was equally thrilling for our team!”
View photos from the activities here. Learn more about Clarke’s anti-racism resources here and email us with books, music and other resources to share with the Clarke community.