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Who's Who at MLK
 Jessica Middlebrook is our new adjustment counselor.
Before coming to MLK, Ms. Middlebrook traveled between 5 schools as a Behavior Specialist. In this position, she consulted with teachers and administrators to help make optimal environments for all styles of learning and social/emotional needs. Although Jessica enjoyed this work, she missed being part of a community and building strong relationships with teachers, families and kids.
Jessica has always gravitated towards the kids whose approach to school was non traditional. This led her to an internship at The Judge Baker Children's Center where she worked to help kids overcome real hardship and ultimately to a degree in School Counseling.
Ms. Middlebrook loves the community at MLK. She enjoys the collaborative approach among the staff and the commitment to providing joyful learning experiences for students.
In her first year at MLK, Jessica wants to support teachers and staff in establishing strong social/emotional programming throughout the school and to build strong relationships with families because as she says, "It's all about the kids."
Transgender Awareness Week
Transgender Awareness Week was in November. Listen to this a TedTalk about supporting the transgender youth in our community.
Listen here >>
Donate to East End House Holiday Drive
The East End House is collecting the following items:
- Educational games and activity sets for children ages 0-14
- Books for children and youth of all ages
- Warm clothing including coats, hats, mittens, scarves and other winter accessories.
- Basic necessities including soap, shampoo and toothpaste
- Holiday gift wrap, scotch tape and bows/ribbons
To learn more about the East End House, click here.
Deadline for all holiday drive donations is Wednesday, December 15th by noon.
New School Council Email Address
Do you have thoughts or ideas for our school council agendas? You can submit them to our new email address!
Vaccine Clinic
The clinic will offer free Pfizer pediatric and adult COVID-19 vaccines. Please note:
- Appointments are required at this clinic. Due to expected high demand, walk-ins will not be accepted. To make an appointment, register here.
- Children ages 5 to 11 can receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the Dec. 15 clinic. This clinic cannot accommodate children who need their second dose.
- People ages 12 and older can receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the Dec. 15 clinic. This clinic cannot accommodate individuals who need their second dose.
- Booster Vaccines will not be available.
- FluMist will be available to people ages 2 to 49 at the Dec. 15 clinic who have an app
From the Friends of MLK
Dear MLK School Community,
Once a year MLK Friends leads an annual appeal to fund the programs and activities to support our school community. We intentionally don’t charge for any programs we offer or do other bake sale-type fundraisers.
Our annual appeal has come to a close and we are so so grateful for your generous support!
Thank you to the 66 family donors who contributed over $13,000 to support programs, resources, and support for our school community this year! Wow!
Our donation link remains active all year in case you haven’t had a chance to donate yet and would still like to contribute. Donate here >>
You don’t need a PayPal account to donate, just a credit card.
In the coming weeks our volunteer team will follow-up with everyone who donated to provide you with our tax ID donation info and note of appreciation. Thank you for your patience as we collect all the info and follow-up.
We are an entirely volunteer-led nonprofit organization and every dollar of your support goes directly to supporting our school and children. Your funds are already being used to support teacher program needs, author's visits, our welcome back BBQ, and more! And the best part? … This is the last that you will hear from us soliciting donations this school year!
Want to be a part of utilizing these funds and planning activities?
Join us at our next MLK Friends Meeting!
MLK Friends Meeting
December 15 | 12-1PM | Zoom
Thank you again for helping us build a vibrant, caring school community for our children!
The MLK Friends Board of Directors
- Eric Leslie and Donielle Buie (Co-presidents)
- Jodi Ekelchik (Clerk)
- Josh Zhu (Treasurer)
- Li-Ting Hu
- Heather Lorentz
Junior K/Kindergarten Lottery - Sibling Registration - SY22-23
Do you have a child who will be JK/K eligible in September 2022?
Apply here >>
Cambridge Families of Asian
Descent Meeting
December 16 | 7:30-8:30PM
Parents/caregivers of East Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and multi-racial Asian heritage please join us to connect with each other, have supportive discussions around microaggressions in our schools, parenting strategies to support our kids and also work on our curriculum and advocacy goals. Register to receive the Zoom link. Questions? Email CFAD.
Register here >>
Cambridge Families of Asian Descent (CFAD) is an affinity group of caregivers of Asian heritage centered on forming social connections and advocating around increasing visibility of Asian-Americans in the school curriculum and community. More details >>
Carrot Card Reminder
If you have received a Carrot Card for weekend groceries please remember to use all of the funds before the end of the month. Funds do not accumulate month to month, they just go away. Cards will automatically refill on the first Friday of the month. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to The Family Liaison Marguerite Hicks-Gyewu.
MLK Annual Winter Solstice
Lantern Fest
Tuesday, December 21st | 4-6PM
Last year we were remote but this year we are back live! Bring your lantern and light up the night!
JOIN US FOR...
- Hot chocolate and cider
- Sing along with MLK music teacher, Steve Mossberg
- Neighborhood parade
Register here >>
* Please RSVP so we know how many lantern kits to make and how many drinks to bring! Lantern kits will be available for pick up at school the week of December 13th.
From the CitySprouts Garden
 All fall, classes joined me out in the CitySprouts garden to deepen their curiosity about science and growing food. In the past few weeks, students have helped me clear out our garden beds, harvest compost to add to our soil, finish our final harvests, and more. However, CitySprouts lessons don’t stop when the growing season ends. Students in grades K-5 continue with their CitySprouts science learning through all of the seasons - even winter. Though, we do have to mix it up a bit!
 Recently, we’ve been continuing our lessons inside the classroom, while making sure our science lessons are still hands-on and exciting. This week in particular, we are doing everything from investigating worms in our worm bin to starting a garlic growing experiment in our classroom window sills. Through these experiments, students still get to explore their scientific curiosity by asking questions and testing their ideas.
All through winter, we’ll continue to use our CitySprouts lesson time to answer questions about the world around us. Our plans for the winter include exciting lessons such as building our own worm bins, dissecting sprouting seeds, growing mushrooms, and seeing what plants we can grow from food scraps.
 All in all, I couldn’t do the lessons I do without the strong support of the teachers and staff. Most importantly, I couldn’t do all of these lessons, experiments, and investigations without the amazing passion and scientific curiosity that all of the students at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School show me when I come into their classroom every week. It’s a community of scientists that I am so excited and thankful to be a part of.
- Gardener Sydney Spicer
CitySprouts is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that partners with public elementary schools in Cambridge and Boston. Our goal is to enrich students' science learning with hands-on, garden-based science lessons. CitySprouts is committed to greater equity in science education and children’s access to nature no matter where they live. If you’re interested in learning more about CitySprouts and all of the work we do in both Cambridge and Boston, visit our website.
Harvard Art Museum
Cambridge Friends Program
Open to all Cambridge residents, enjoy special opportunities to engage more deeply with the museums, such as coffee with curator events, participation in the College and University Art Museums Reciprocal Program, offering complimentary admission to 80 participating museums. And of course free admission to the Harvard Art Museums, where you can enjoy exhibitions, and new work from artists such as Kehinde Wiley and Rashid Johnson.
Sign up here >>
Current exhibitions
Devour the Land: War and American Landscape Photography since 1970 (Closing January 2022)
Described by the Washington Post as “brilliant,” this exhibition explores the impacts of military activity on the American landscape—and the ways in which photography supports activism in response to these effects.
More details >>
States of Play: Prints from Rembrandt to Delsarte (Closing Jan. 2022)
Immerse yourself in the world of printmaking, tracing how artists move step by step to painstakingly rework and refine their images.
More details >>
Krzysztof Wodiczko: Portrait (closing April 2022)
Sound, motion and video activate an iconic portrait where you can explore the matters and questions of today’s democracy through a commissioned artwork by internationally renowned artist Krzysztof Wodiczko.
More details >>
Upcoming Dates
School Picture Retake
December 10th
School Advisory Council Meeting
December 14th | 9-10AM
*Formally School Council. Register here to attend meeting. A zoom link will be sent to you 30 minutes before the meeting
Vaccine Clinic @ CRLS High School
December 15th | 3:30-7:30PM
Cambridge Families of Asian Descent Meeting
December 16th | 7:30-8:30PM
MLK Annual Lantern Fest
December 21st | 4:30-6PM
Lantern making kits will be available for home assembly.
In Our Community
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