From the early one-room schoolhouses in the late 19th century to the “Ol’ School House,” which once stood where the Columbus Metropolitan Library – Dublin Branch is today, to today’s preschool, 15 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools and Emerald Campus, the Dublin community has long placed a premium on ensuring a quality education for its young people.
To showcase that strong tradition, Dublin City Schools (DCS) has been celebrating “Our Collective Journey: America 250” through a dedicated website and by inviting students to share their personal experiences through the “My American Story” campaign.
The districtwide collaboration was integrated into the curriculum and gave every DCS student an opportunity to participate through music, art and writing. Each school was invited to submit a variety of student artifacts, including songs, paintings, poems and digital projects, to showcase students’ unique stories.
The following examples are among the many highlights of the campaign, which may be viewed on the website:
- A USA Day during Spirit Week at Coffman High School featured more than 130 students representing 27 countries.
- S. History students at Jerome High School created silhouettes of presidents filled with facts about each.
- Psychology students at Scioto High School studied “Mental Health Across 250 Years of America.”
- Students at Emerald Campus created an American flag embedded with images capturing how learning has evolved and continues to change.
- Davis Middle School students created a “Periodic Table of the Amendments” to the U.S. Constitution.
- Seventh- and eighth-grade students at Eversole Run Middle School designed their own Forever Stamps illustrating what America means to them.
- Grizzell Middle School students planted “The Liberty Tree” to honor America’s 250th
- Seventh-grade Creative Mindsets students at Karrer Middle School produced an “America from East to West” video project.
- Sells Middle School students wrote six-word memoirs expressing their individual sentiments.
- Students at Bailey Elementary wore red, white and blue shirts to create a “living flag.”
- Bishop Elementary students made their own patriotic tic-tac-toe boards.
- Fourth-graders at Chapman Elementary created a migration map to illustrate the many journeys that led them to Dublin.
- Deer Run Elementary students created “My American Story” buttons, which they proudly wore around school.
- Depp Elementary students performed a song celebrating America’s 250th
- Students at Glacier Ridge Elementary drew self-portraits, adding items that contribute to their American stories.
- Hopewell Elementary second-graders wrote an “America Is …” poem.
- Indian Run Elementary third-graders researched “What Is Dublin’s American Story?” and created a class timeline based on their findings.
- First-graders at Olde Sawmill Elementary traced their hands and created woven American flag cutouts symbolizing how we are all woven together to make a school community.
- Fifth-graders at Eli Pinney Elementary designed and created an “American Legacy” quilt illustrating important periods, events and individuals in American history.
- Second-graders at Riverside Elementary created “Culture of Belonging” posters sharing their heritage.
- Fourth- and fifth-graders at Scottish Corners Elementary performed an Irish dance representing part of their own stories.
- Fifth-graders at Thomas Elementary created projects responding to the prompt, “What Does Freedom Mean to You?”
- At Wright Elementary, students participated in “Share Your Story Day,” emphasizing how their names tell a story of the past, present and future.
- Wyandot Elementary’s fifth-grade choir sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and performed the Pledge of Allegiance at the Dublin Naturalization Ceremony for 67 new American citizens from 32 countries.
- Preschool students learned that everyone has rights and responsibilities under the U.S. Constitution.
The collection of these artifacts illustrates that our nation’s history is indeed “best told through the diverse voices of the people who live it every day,” as stated on the website and reflected in the experiences of Dublin students.
