Gooden Blog

This year, two major religious observances began on February 17. For many Christians, it marked the beginning of the season of Lent. For Muslims, it marked the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which is recognized as the month in which the first verses of the Islamic sacred text, the Qur’an, were revealed. As one of the Five Pillars of Islam, it is a principal practice of the Muslim faith. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. This year, Ramadan runs from February 17 until March 19. Since the Islamic calendar is based on a lunar calendar, the date of Ramadan shifts in relation to the Western Gregorian calendar, and is connected to the sighting of the crescent moon. Ramadan ends with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important Islamic celebrations. It begins with a communal prayer and is followed by visits to relatives, giving gifts, and sharing meals.

Lent is the period of preparation for the central celebration of the Christian faith: the Great Feast of Easter. The date of Easter is fixed each year in reference to the lunar calendar, falling on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. Lent is observed for 40 days prior to Easter, not including Sundays. So the start of the season is determined by counting back from Easter Sunday, 46 days – 40 days of observance and 6 Sundays. This means the season always begins on a Wednesday, which is known as Ash Wednesday.  Lent is a time when members of the community make a special effort to focus on their spiritual lives and their relationship with the Divine. Traditionally, this takes an inward and an outward focus – inward, what one does for oneself, and outward, what one does for others.

In both religious traditions, this time is marked by the discipline of fasting and a focus on
spiritual growth and devotion. During Ramadan, the faithful who are able abstain from food and water from before sunrise until sunset each day. For Christians, while specific practices vary, some form of fasting is part of the 40 days of observance for Lent. In both traditions, members are also encouraged to engage in prayer, reflection, devotional reading, and acts of charity.

The practice of fasting is a spiritual discipline found in almost all religious and wisdom traditions. Simply put, it means abstaining from certain foods, activities, and/or behaviors. The practice is meant to help one grow in self-control, not be victims of one’s appetites and desires, and to identify with those who live in food insecurity or risk.

At Gooden, we join with our community partners, Friends in Deed, to prepare “Easter Bags” for the clients of their Women’s Room. Each class collects a specific item to support the needs of these clients, and we assemble them into bags, which we deliver to Friends in Deed for distribution. It is something they have come to look forward to every year.

As an Episcopal school, Gooden is grounded in a tradition that values reflection, compassion, and service. During seasons like Lent, we are reminded that faith is not only something we believe, but something we practice, through prayer, self-examination, and care for our neighbors. By honoring the rhythms of the Christian calendar while also learning about and respecting the sacred observances of other traditions, we live out our Episcopal commitment to inclusion, dignity, and love for all of God’s people. In this shared season of reflection and generosity, we are reminded that spiritual growth is always connected to how we serve the world around us.
 

At The Gooden School, Black History Month is a meaningful time for our community to reflect, celebrate, and grow together. Throughout the month, our students have been immersed in learning experiences that honor the history, culture, and enduring contributions of Black Americans. These lessons are not only about understanding the past, but they are also about shaping thoughtful, informed, and compassionate citizens.

Students are exploring Black history through music and movement, engaging in call-and-response songs, rhythm clapping, movement games, and discussions about how music communicates emotion and meaning. They are experiencing how music builds connection and community. Students also examined lyrics more closely, discussing the emotions, messages, and historical significance behind the music.

Across campus, classrooms have also been diving deeply into research and art. Each class selected a prominent and influential Black individual to study, bringing their stories to life through writing, projects, and creative expression.

Our youngest learners explored the lives of astronaut Mae Jemison and artist Alma Thomas, discovering how the wonder of space exploration, especially the Apollo missions, inspired both science and art. Students also reflected on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., creating artwork that expressed their own dreams for a better world.

Across the lower grades, students deepened their understanding of influential leaders such as Dr. King, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Jackie Robinson, connecting themes of courage, justice, and perseverance to their own lives. They studied trailblazers like Mae Jemison and the groundbreaking mathematicians and engineers Mary Jackson, Raye Montague, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan, exploring how determination and innovation can open doors. Through research projects, informational brochures, coding activities, and artist studies inspired by Tyree Guyton and Alma Thomas, students blended history with hands-on learning in art, math, science, and literacy. They will also explore the powerful poetry of Langston Hughes.
 

Students researched a wide range of influential figures, including Booker T. Washington, Thurgood Marshall, Angela Davis, Maya Angelou, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Oprah Winfrey, examining how each overcame challenges, improved their communities, and created lasting change. They synthesized their learning through thoughtful presentations and written reflections, identifying shared qualities of resilience, service, and leadership. Class discussions encouraged students to compare their own experiences with those they studied, recognizing that early hardships did not prevent these individuals from making a meaningful difference.

In the upper grades, students are exploring powerful examples of leadership, resilience, and activism through the lives of Nelson Mandela, John Lewis, Malcolm X, and Jack Johnson. Through literature, biographical study, and discussion, they examined Mandela’s perseverance and moral courage, John Lewis’s commitment to nonviolent action and “good trouble,” Malcolm X’s evolving voice and advocacy for justice, and Jack Johnson’s groundbreaking success in sports despite intense racism and public scrutiny. Together, these studies encouraged students to think critically about history, identity, and the many forms courage can take in the pursuit of equity and change.

Art classes across grade levels beautifully reflected students’ Black History Month learning through meaningful, creative expression. Second graders painted vibrant freestyle landscapes inspired by Alma Thomas’ signature “daub” technique, while fourth graders created detailed, hand-drawn African masks on canvas using fabric markers (now on display in the art room), drawing inspiration from African culture and instrumental music as they worked, with full creative choice over design and color. Students also crafted silhouette portraits of Dr. King with bold backgrounds, designed artwork inspired by his powerful quotes, collaborated on a large-scale canvas installation, created self-portraits incorporating their dreams for their communities, and applied structured grid techniques to produce detailed portraits, each project blending cultural appreciation, historical understanding, and artistic skill.

All of this meaningful learning will culminate in a Black History Traveling Touch Museum on Friday, February 27. This highly interactive experience is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the transformative impact of Black history. In honor of the 2026 theme, A Century of Black History Commemorations, students will engage with the stories of changemakers who have shaped local and global communities through scientific innovation, activism, the arts, leadership, and more.

Through this month’s interdisciplinary work, our students are expanding their knowledge of U.S. and global history, developing cultural proficiency, strengthening literacy and inquiry skills, and exploring real examples of citizenship and community care in action. We are incredibly proud of the curiosity, respect, and creativity our Knights have demonstrated. Black History Month at Gooden is not simply a celebration; it is a commitment to honoring the history, culture, achievements, and lasting contributions of Black communities — today and every day.