Archive Update Jan 2019
by Rick Corlett
Archivist, Kearny High Historical Archive Collection
It’s always great when we are able to add to the Kearny High Historical Archives. This past year Joan Sprague, who taught at Kearny between 1986 and 2000, contributed a collection of teaching materials, student work, photographs, and other memorabilia from her days as a Kearny English and ESL teacher. Joan spent most of her time at Kearny teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). In addition to the historical items she donated, she also provided a short history of the ESL program at Kearny for the years 1986 to 2000.
From her notes: “In the late 1980s ‘Culture Days’ was an annual celebration when students would dress in traditional clothing and offer the food of their cultures for tasting. In 1986, the International Club was founded. The club, open to all students, met once a month during lunch for exposure to other cultures. On celebrated days such as Japanese ‘Girls Day’, Hmong New Year, and Vietnamese/Chinese New Year, a presentation was given and sometimes involved the foods of that culture. To celebrate Vietnamese New Year, 1986, the first ‘dragon dance’ and lunch of traditional foods was presented by a group of Vietnamese students to invited faculty, administrators, and community members. Vietnamese New Year was presented to the general student population in 1987, with a large selection of traditional Vietnamese food for sale and a presentation by two groups of dragon dancers. ‘Brotherhood Week’ was introduced the following year, continuing well into the 1990s.”
Joan’s contribution of memorabilia and information have added new depth to the heritage of Kearny High School and is a reminder of the growth the school has experienced as it continually strives to meet the needs of it’s community. Today, many members of the neighborhoods surrounding Kearny can attest to the skills, abilities, and understandings they developed while attending the ESL programs at Kearny.
