The Harbor Middle School (PS 676) enjoyed an end of the year pride talent showcase on June 16 in their auditorium.
They celebrated Pride Month in two ways with the event. LGBTQ+ history was incorporated throughout the show to allow the ability to continue learning while spotlighting the students, their individuality and their talents.
This was the school’s first Harbor’s Got Pride Talent Show. It featured singing and dancing from the students and the staff and was enjoyed by parents and community members in the audience.
This was one of many events throughout the year where various cultures or groups of people were recognized.
In October the school had an event for Hispanic Heritage Month, in November the school recognized Indigenous History Month, in December the school recognized holidays around the world, January was disability awareness month, in February Black History Month was recognized, March was Women’s History Month and May was Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Throughout the year, the students learn about being an ally to other communities during each honorary month where groups were highlighted.
In the beginning, before the show actually began, a projection on the screen said that Pride Month is a reminder to love yourself exactly as you are. Trivia questions followed, definitions of pride words like queer and transgender and a list of countries that accept gay marriage.
Pride Month is a time to celebrate community, acceptance and being true to yourself no matter who you are. During Pride Month, students learned about current and past struggles, historical figures and places.
“We are all willing to see everyone’s differences and accept them for who they are,” Principal Priscilla Figueroa said.
The show kicked off with a news video by the Harbor News team.It was a PS 676 special broadcast on Pride Month where Harbor News asked students why Pride Month is important to them and about the meaning of pride and why they are proud of their school.
The informative video said there are many ways to celebrate, like learning about pride history, supporting friends and family and going to the big NYC parade at the end of the month.
They said it’s a reminder that everyone deserves the same rights no matter who they love or how they identify. One student said it’s important to celebrate the community.
The Harbor News keeps the school community informed all year long.
The Harbor dance team was next. They generally perform at halftime of school basketball games
The harbor theater club showed a video on allyship where students had a discussion on being an ally in the classroom and being accepting of others.
Joanna showed a comic that was about how important she thinks being an ally is.
During the fast paced Figtacular halftime show, faculty and the principal danced as songs from Fat Joe, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem played in honor of the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
Then the official talent show began with the talents of the students and teachers being showcased. Four faculty judges and three student judges were introduced before the talent show began.
The director of the show, Mr. Michael, gave an exciting rendition of the song Bills, Bills, Bills by Destiny’s Child.
Some other performances included the Assistant Principal performing a song, a young student singing an Ariana Grande song, two students performing an original song a third grader wrote and first and second graders dancing to a Justin Bieber song.
In a comedy skit, a student tried repeatedly to get Mr. Tim to laugh. The joke that got the laugh was, “What is Harry Potter’s favorite mushroom? A magic mushroom.”
The Harbor dance team did another fast paced performance while the judges were deciding the winners of the contest.
A student announced the faculty winners of the talent show. Third place was assistant principal Ms. Perry, second place was Mr. Michael and first place was Mr. Joseph.
A teacher announced the student winners. There was a tie for third place and a tie for second place. It was announced that the first and second graders won the grand prize which was followed by cheers and the winners coming up to the stage.
The students prepared for the talent show during an after school program.
“We would like to thank our families for coming today,” Figueroa said. “It is because of the wonderful people we have here that we can have these sorts of performances.”
There was a section at the end on Juneteenth since the holiday was on Monday,The Harbor news team showed a video explaining its significance.
It commemorates the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued two years earlier and the news team’s video included a community activist talking at the site where it was announced.
Juneteenth had not been given federal status until enacted by Joe Biden in 2021. It was first officially recognized across NYC public schools in 2022.
At the end, all the staff responsible for making this end of the year showcase happen were recognized on the stage with cheers.
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