In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Oak Knoll community came together in meaningful ways — through service, prayer, reflection, and dialogue — to honor Dr. King’s enduring legacy and recommit to the values he championed.

A Community United in Service

The day of observance began on Monday, January 19, 2026, with a welcoming gathering that allowed members of the Oak Knoll community to connect before participating in a prayer service that grounded the morning in faith and shared purpose. Students, families, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i then engaged in hands-on service projects designed to support local organizations and extend care beyond our campus.

Service opportunities included making sandwiches for Bridges Outreach, assembling senior care packages, feminine hygiene kits, and winter weather kits for Toni’s Kitchen, and creating cards for patients at Overlook Hospital, as well as active military members and veterans. In addition, the community contributed nonperishable food items to the Students Change Hunger food drive, reinforcing Oak Knoll’s ongoing commitment to addressing food insecurity.

Through these shared efforts, participants lived out Dr. King’s belief that service is a powerful expression of justice and love in action.

Reflection Across All Divisions

In the days leading up to MLK Day, Lower School students in grades PK-6 engaged in age-appropriate reflection on Dr. King’s legacy through an assembly that incorporated poetry and conversation. Through these experiences, even our youngest learners explored themes of kindness, justice, and care for others — foundational values that shape their understanding of community and responsibility.

Upper School Students Explore Empathy in Action

As part of the MLK Day observance, Upper School students in grades 7-12 participated in a powerful program centered on empathy and human connection. Poet and educator Andre Bradford, known professionally as S.C. Says Poetry, brought his presentation Kintsukuroi: Building with Purposeful Empathy to Oak Knoll.

Drawing inspiration from the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, Bradford invited students to consider resilience, vulnerability, and the strength found in shared human experience. Through storytelling, reflection, and discussion, students examined how empathy benefits both the giver and the receiver—and how recognizing our interconnectedness can lead to meaningful change.

“I think that's the problem — we as a species are often unable or unwilling to recognize our connected existence with others,” Bradford shared. “That's why I created this program around empathy, to bridge that gap.”

A smaller workshop provided select students with the opportunity to reflect more deeply on how empathy can inform their leadership, relationships, and daily interactions—both in and beyond the classroom.

Living Our Mission

Together, these experiences reflected Oak Knoll’s commitment to the Holy Child Goals — particularly Goals 4 through 6 — by encouraging compassionate action, honoring the dignity of every person, and supporting personal growth rooted in faith and reflection.

By pairing meaningful service with intentional learning and dialogue, the Oak Knoll community honored Dr. King’s legacy not only through words, but through action — continuing the work of justice, empathy, and hope in our world.