Immaculate Heart of Mary School celebrated Black History Month in February with a mixture of educational, cultural and spiritual activities including hosting an African-American panel discussion on career choices.

On Feb. 20 four panelists provided an overview of their careers and experiences for grades 4-8. Speakers were Dr. E. Nigel Harris, dean and senior vice president for academic affairs at Morehouse School of Medicine; Col. Shirley A. Quarles, deputy chief of staff for the 81st Regional Readiness Command in Birmingham, Ala.; Judge Myra Dixon of Georgia State Courts; and Dan Mitchell, president and CEO of Multimedia Communications Service Corp. in Atlanta. The students were very enthusiastic and asked many questions.

Father Edward Branch, campus minister for the Lyke House—the Catholic Center at Atlanta University Center, served as celebrant and homilist at the school’s Ash Wednesday Mass on Feb. 25. His homily energized students as he spoke about serving as ambassadors for God.

Other activities coordinated by the school were a field trip to see the play “Ferdinand the Bull” presented by the Alliance Theatre and a cultural activities festival featuring storytellers. Charlotte “The Poet,” Charlotte Della Cain of Charlotte’s Web of Associates, an artistic cooperative, entertained students by reciting original scriptural and diversity poetry during a Mass on Feb. 5 for grades 2 and 3.

The activities were planned by the Black History Month Committee at the school, which consisted of volunteer African-American parents, with principal Tricia DeWitt and assistant principal Greg Kaiser serving as advisors. IHM has a diverse student body of 490 students, with 76 percent white students; 12 percent Hispanic students; 6 percent African-American students; 3 percent Asian students and 2 percent other ethnicities.