School Celebrates Detroit Culture with 313 Day

Many schools throughout the country recognize March 14 as Pi Day for its relation to the first three digits of pi, 3.14, but one day earlier is even bigger for a city in Michigan. Connected to March 13 by its 313 area code, Detroit residents have taken to celebrating everything that makes their city special on 313 Day. Warrendale Charter Academy staff took this opportunity to teach their scholars the importance of history, culture, and the people who work every day in the communities around them.  
Teachers discussed the important traits of the city, showed documentaries, and students completed activities and assignments focused on its history. The school has outperformed the local district for 10 years.
 
“It is very important for our students to learn about their city,” Special Education and Intervention Dean Kristina Smith said. “This gives them a sense of pride and ownership for the place they live. I was born and raised in the city of Detroit. As I started my journey in education, I couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere but in Detroit. We, as educators, would hope as we work hard to cultivate productive citizens in this world, they would have a desire to give back to their community and the success of future generations.” 

 
In keeping with the theme, National Coney Island provided lunch for the school staff, and leadership provided Better Made Potato Chips and Faygo, which are produced in Detroit-based factories. 
 
Warrendale Fifth Grade Teacher Shanika McClendon was very excited that students would get an understanding of the rich history of their city. She is planning an assignment where students will write about the history of Detroit’s city flag.
 

“By showing scholars how much their city means to them we are able to be culturally responsive educators,” McClendon said. “It teaches them to take pride in who they are and where they come from no matter how others may view their environment. It builds confidence and encourages them to have a growth mindset in order to accomplish similar successes as those before them.”
 
Great work celebrating your city’s culture, Warrendale!
About Warrendale Charter Academy
Warrendale Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Detroit, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes 99 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.


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