Crosby Kindergarten is all about the quilts! The kindergarten recently held a program entitled “The Story of Freedom Quilt” based on the story, Sweet Clara’s Freedom Quilt. The Freedom Quilt program included many activities including the librarian, Ms. Hardwick, reading the story to her students. All of the students of the school combined their efforts and made a Paper School Quilt. The classes of Mrs. Nichols, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Randolph, Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Kominek sang about the struggles and victories of freedom.  Little Ms. Kameron Fantroy, a student at Newport Elementary, did a book talk on the book, Sweet Clara's Freedom Quilt. 

The highlight of the program was the presentation given by the mother of Penelope Dawn Nichols, Mrs. Anne Shanklin. Mrs. Shanklin’s first teaching position was at Drew High School long before Crosby High School was built, and long before Drew High School became Drew Intermediate School. Ms. Shanklin is a local retired resident of Crosby and is an avid quilter.  She taught in the Houston ISD for 35 years, and is an accomplished author whose book, Precious Memories, is in the kindergarten library.  She is also a speaker who just this month spoke at the Highlands Community Center in Highlands.  She was the proud winner of the Granny Smith Award (Granny Smith Apples) which was given for her outstanding contributions to the community. 

Ms. Shanklin also let the kindergarten use fourteen of her quilts to display in the school cafeteria. The students and staff most enjoyed the fact that Mrs. Shanklin spent time talking mainly about three specific quilts: the Ohio Star Quilt, the Shoo Fly Quilt and the Jacob's Ladder Quilt. She explained the significance of the markings on the Jacob’s Ladder Quilt which was a quilt that helped lead slaves to freedom.  It was a great history lesson for all those who had the opportunity to hear about the significance of each particular quilt.  

Jennifer Wooten, who is a graduate of Crosby High School, signed with the Savior Dance Group, and two children portrayed Rosa Parks as well as Harrison Barrett, the founder of Barrett Station.  Other program highlights included the cafeteria being decorated with quilts that Mrs. Shanklin had quilted, and the school being given a quilt that Ms. Shanklin quilted and then donated to Crosby Kindergarten.  The quilt will be displayed in the school’s multipurpose room. Both the children and the staff enjoyed the great week of activities, history, and the joy of quilting! The whole school agreed that quilting is fun!