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Springmont School has joined hands with other schools, churches, synagogues, and organizations in planting the seeds of memory and resilience as part of The Daffodil Project—an endeavor that has grown into a global movement of remembrance. The Daffodil Project stands as a living memorial to the 1.5 million children lost during the Holocaust. It serves as a beacon of hope amidst ongoing genocides and humanitarian crises.  

Why daffodils? The shape and color represent the yellow stars that Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Yellow is the color of remembrance yet can also represent hope for the future. Daffodils are resilient and return with a burst of color each spring, signifying renewal and beauty.  Our participation in the project is a tangible expression of the school's dedication to instilling the values of justice and global awareness. Over 250 daffodils will bloom in our dedicated on-campus memorial garden, contributing to the over 974,000 flowers planted worldwide in places of memory and reflection.

Middle School students are learning about the collective determination to fight against rising hatred and antisemitism in other ways as well. Collaborating with Outdoor Science Education Teacher Michelle Wolfersberger and Middle School Language Arts Teacher Gretchen Stamps, we created an integrated unit on the Holocaust. Michelle led students in preparing and planting the memorial garden in late fall. (The blooms are just beginning to sprout!) In Language Arts, students are currently reading The Boy on the Wooden Box, a memoir of a former Oskar Schindler's List child. I met with each class to discuss Jews and their involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. This lesson is timely during Black History Month and provides an opportunity to explore solidarity and the complexities of social justice. By highlighting the significant contributions of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students gained a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of marginalized communities in the fight against discrimination.

Last Friday, Middle School students went to City Springs Theater to watch the film "Paper Clips." Part of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, this inspiring documentary captures how students in rural Whitwell, Tennessee, responded to lessons about the Holocaust. To better understand how many lives were lost during the Holocaust, their middle school students collected 11 million paper clips representing every life lost. The film director and Whitwell Middle School faculty members shared their perspectives during the Q&A that followed. 

Springmont's new daffodil garden is adjacent to the Middle School Liberal Arts classroom and is easily seen from the carpool line. Every daffodil that blooms will carry a message of hope, ensuring that the lessons of history are neither forgotten nor repeated.