From the Principal's Desk
Dr. Davina A.J. Hicks, Head of School
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Happy Black History Month to you all! The achievements of African-American’s in this country, and abroad, are abundant and rich. To celebrate the accomplishments of this great heritage, Sonshine will feature a new Black History Fact each morning after our devotions for the remainder of this month. Feel free to review the enclosed featured Black History Month highlights.
Sonshine would like to bid Mrs. Peggy Harriman-Adami, Director of Pre-K, farewell as she has decided to pursue a relocation opportunity in Savannah, Georgia with her husband on February 12th, her last official day with us. While we hate to see her leave, we pray God’s blessings upon she and her family. Please see enclosed Teacher Feature for more information. Another recent change is the addition of a world-renowned scientist, Mr. Khalid Parris, as a part of our Sonshine faculty. Mr. Parris is a licensed State of Ohio teacher, and highly qualified to instruct science courses for our children. Prior to Mr. Parris’ decision to teach at Sonshine, he conducted comprehensive research in the State of New York, earned a bachelor (Biochemistry) and two master’s degrees (Cell and Molecular Biochemistry, and Business Administration). We welcome Mr. Parris into our family of professional elite educators who will instruct 5th-8th grade science classes for the remainder of this school year. To focus the pool of professional talent within our school, Sonshine has made a few changes with the daily agenda (please review enclosed revised daily schedule) that will afford your child a streamlined approach to learning.
Effective third quarter, Mrs. Brown will only teach math courses for grades 5th through 8th; Mrs. Clayborne will be instructing Social Studies classes for grades 6th through 8th, and will also expose children, Kindergarten (K) through 8th, with a new Current Event’s elective. Mrs. Steele will be the English Language Arts instructor for grades 6th-8th, along with facilitating a Study Hall elective for grades K-8th in the afternoons. Mrs. Childress will be teaching Social Studies for grades 3rd and 5th, English Language Arts for the 5th graders, and will also remain the Art instructor for grades K-8th in the afternoons. Additionally, Mrs. Lee will be facilitating a Creating Writing course for grades K-8th for a new elective in the afternoon. These changes will only enhance the learning experience, as each teacher is focused on a core academic subject while preparing our 5th graders for the rotation routine that will be required of them in Middle School.
Please Note the Following Dates and Information:
• Safety Tip of the month: Students are being reminded to report ANY/ALL unsafe conditions to their teachers/aides. SCA is committed to safety and will address all matters submitted to Administration.
• Make-up PTA Meeting will be held at Sonshine on Tuesday, February 12th, at 4PM, where the following items will be discussed: Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Eighth Grade Graduations; and the Eighth Grade Trip. Please contact Ms. Unisha Moore: um.sonshinepta@gmail.com for PTA updates and questions.
• Please review the updated gym schedule (enclosed) to help your children dress on the right day.
We solicit your prayers and support as we continue to advance the Kingdom of God through Educating our Youth.
In the Service of the King,
Dr. Davina A.J. Hicks, Head of School
Teacher Feature
Mrs. Peggy Harriman-Adami
Mrs. Peggy Harriman-Adami, Director of Pre-Kindergarten, has faithfully served the Sonshine Christian Academy over the last three years. Her last day with our school will be February 12, 2019. Mrs. Harriman-Adami and her husband, Mr. Anthony Adami, will be relocating to Savanna, Georgia. We, the Sonshine Christian Academy family, wish Mrs. Harriman-Adami and husband the very best of everything. Mrs. Harriman-Adami would like to express her heartfelt farewell to all, and wants to be remembered by her mantra: “endeavor to persevere…” We will miss Mrs. Harriman-Adami, and salute her for her awesome service to our school!
Sonshine Christian Academy Honors
Black History Month
Violette Neatley: Anderson She was the first African-American woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 29, 1926. In 1922, she was named an assistant prosecutor in Chicago, the first woman and African-American to do so.
Dr. J. Robert Gladden: He was the first board-certified African-American surgeon on Jan. 22, 1949. In 1951, he became the first African-American to be elected a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Ella Baker Emerging: as one of the most important female figures of the Civil Rights Movement, Baker began the In Friendship organization which combated some of the racist Jim Crow policies across the Deep South and raised money for the Montgomery Bus Boycotts.
Louis Stokes: He was sworn in as the first Black congressman elected in the state of Ohio. Stokes served 15 terms in office, which included heading the Congressional Black Caucus, and also becoming the first Black member of the House Appropriations Committee.
Dr. Olivia J. Hooker: She became the first African-American woman to join the United States Coast Guard after being rejected by the United States Navy. Hooker graduated from Ohio State University in 1937, obtained her master’s degree in psychology from Columbia University, and earned her Ph.D from the University of Rochester.
Charles “Chuck” Harrison One of the most important industrial designers of his time, and items that he’s either invented or designed have been impacting lives for over 60 years. Harrison worked for Sears for 32 years, designing hundreds of items including sewing machines, toasters, lawn mowers and several household items. According to reports, he is also the first Black executive for Sears.
Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley: Made history in 1945 as an officer for the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, also known as the Women’s Army’s Corps. Earley became the highest-ranked Black woman officer during World War II. Due to her stellar work with the Corps, Adams was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel, achieving her historical mark.
Franklin D. Gregory: A former astronaut and former deputy NASA administrator who first made history in 1978 as one of NASA’s first astronauts. Gregory’s historic flights include being the first African-American to pilot a shuttle with his 1985 Challenger flight, and in 1989, he was the first African-American space shuttle flight to command a mission aboard the Discovery.
Henrietta Smith Bowers Duterte: She was the nation’s first Black female undertaker 160 years ago. Duterte was also an essential part in the Underground Railroad system. Duterte’s business was one of the most successful Black-owned ventures of that era.
George Edwin Taylor:The first Black person selected by a political party to run for president. In November 1904, Taylor was named the presidential nominee for the National Negro Liberty Party. Also known as the National Liberty Party, it was said to be the first political party created for and by Black people.
Crystal Bird Fauset: She was the first African-American woman elected to state legislature in America. Fauset joined President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet” and became friends with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She went on to help found the United Nations Council of Philadelphia, and turned her energy to global development including in the nations of Africa, India, and beyond.
Dr. Charles Greene: He was the first African-American certified surgeon by the American board of neurological surgery. He was also the first chair of Howard University’s division of neurology, a newly-created department at the time and performed several successful surgeries.
Yvonne Brathwaite Burke: She earned a law degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. After running a private practice, she was elected in 1966 to the California State Assembly, becoming the first Black woman elected to the state legislature. Burke became the first Black woman from California elected to Congress.
Father Charles Uncles: He was the first Black Catholic Priest ordained in the U.S. on Dec. 19, 1891. He taught Latin, Greek, and English at Epiphany College in Walbrook, West Baltimore, and in New Windsor, New York. Father Uncles was also a founding member of the St. Joseph’s Society of the Sacred Heart in Baltimore, which was developed to minister and assist the Black church community in the city.
Dr. Ida Stephens Owens: She became the first Black woman to earn a Ph. D. from Duke University. Her laboratory was the first to discover a genetic defect that led to the rare Crigler-Najjar disorder, an advanced form of jaundice that was dangerous to infants and adults. In 1992, Owens earned the NIH Director’s Award, and in 2013, she was given the first Duke University Graduate School’s Distinguished Alumni Award. For over three decades, she served as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Section on Genetic Disorders of Drug Metabolism in the Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics director.
Charles S. Johnson: A sociologist and professor, Charles S. Johnson was named the first Black president of Fisk University in Nashville, TN. Johnson’s research of the Red Summer of 1919 race riots led to his acclaimed “The Negro in Chicago” report. Working with the National Urban League, the study elevated him to the role of the NUL’s director of research in 1921. In 1923, Johnson established Opportunity magazine, which took a broad look at the African-American experience nationwide.
Dr. Altha Stewart: In its 173-year history, the American Psychiatric Association has never had an African-American lead its organization – until now. In 2017, she was named president-elect of the APA and officially took the role on this past May. Stewart served as the City of Philadelphia, Department of Public Health’s medical director from 1983 to 1991 ahead of moving on to serve as a senior deputy commissioner for the NYC Department of MH/MR & Alcoholism Services in New York. Between 1999 and 2002, she served as the executive director for the Detroit-Wayne Community Mental Health Agency before relocating to Memphis. In 2015, Stewart joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis as an associate professor in psychiatry and director of the Center for Health in Justice Involved Youth.
Benjamin McAdoo: He was the first Black architect to open a firm in the city of Seattle and is also is the first Black architect in Washington state. Additionally, McAdoo was a champion of civil rights, serving at the president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP and hosting weekly radio shows that focused on issues affecting Seattle’s Black community.
Elective Schedule for SCA 2019 School Year
Revised 2019 SCA Daily School Schedule
Please note this schedule will be three pages
