ABC’s The View celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by asking Staten Island’s P.S. 22 Chorus to appear on their show to sing, “We Shall Overcome.” The song was interspersed with students reciting lines from Dr. King’s famous “I Have A Dream” speech.
P.S. 22 is known for its famous chorus. They’ve sung with incredible musical artists as well as making appearances at The White House and the Oscars, among many other incredible venues, thanks to the passion of their musical director, Gregg Breinberg (or affectionately called, Mr. B.) Mr. B. took a small elementary school job on Staten Island and did it so well that eventually the world took notice. That’s a lesson in loving what you do and doing the best job possible. That’s leadership.
But P.S. 22 is more than the famous chorus. It’s a school full of students learning to be leaders. I was speaking with the school last week, and they are equally enthusiastic about the many projects they do with the entire student body to ensure that they are contributing to society and becoming the best people possible.
Among other efforts, students from Kindergarten through 5th grade have recently participated in the Warm and Cozy Drive, a winter clothing collection for children in need, they’ve collected books, blankets and stuffed animals for kids living in shelters, visited nursing homes forging relationships with the residents and working together on art projects, hosted food drives and collected various items for our soldiers.
In other words, all the students at P.S. 22 are stars. Stars burn bright for many reasons. It could be using a talent to perform or performing acts of kindness. Both bring joy to others. Congratulations to the hard working P.S. 22 staff and their efforts in bringing out the best in these little leaders. (Leadership is the anti-bully.)
It doesn’t have to be Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to appreciate that every child has their own dream.
