Northport media center offers special empowerment program

The Northport K-8 School Media Center offered students an opportunity to showcase their multifaceted talents in a terrific Women’s History and Girl’s Empowerment Program recently. The program highlighted the accomplishments of women role models in history, Northport teachers and staff, mothers, daughters, and students. Students were empowered to shed poor role models like Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears and Beyoncé and to look for strong women who have made important changes in the world. Women’s struggles and successes were highlighted in a PowerPoint presentation that included music, news clips and clips from actress Hilary Swank playing the role of Alice Paul depicting the struggle of Suffragettes in the film “Iron Jawed Angels.” Students performed poems including Maya Angelou’s “Women’s Work” and “Phenomenal Woman” and read thank you notes to women role models written in class. Students sang songs including Alicia Keys, “Girl on Fire,” Katy Perry’s, “Roar” and Christina Aguilera’s, “Beautiful!” A resounding rendition of “We Are Family” was sung by instructor Juliette Thelusma and a group of her students. Instructor Georgia Stone spoke of the importance of strong female role models and shedding the images that are portrayed by many modern singers and entertainers. New Horizons Prevention Specialist Maryanne Warren read an open letter to girls about not letting go of the past struggles of women and becoming empowered. The program was wrapped up with a rendition of Helen Reddy’s famous song, “I Am Woman!” Special thanks to media clerk Sarah Lewis, and band and choral directors James Kirk and Brian Hoce for helping to make the program strong, powerful and filled with meaning for the students. Pictured is a gathering of youth and adult women in the media center celebrating the event.