W.A.

Pattillo Middle School

501 East Avenue, Tarboro, NC 27886
Phone (252) 823-3812 Fax (252) 641-5706
www.facebook.com/PattilloMiddle
“Learning for All: Whatever It Takes”

To the leaders of the East Carolina Black Student Union,

My name is Megan Wieseman and I am a current special education teacher at W.A. Pattillo Middle school in
Tarboro, North Carolina. Aside from teaching, I am also the advisor for the Pattillo Harambee club- a small
group of middle school students that plans and implements bi-weekly pep rallies for our student body.

Harambee is a Kenyan tradition of community and literally means “all pull together” in Swahili. During our
own Harambee celebrations, we recognize students for their acts of kindness, select monthly star teachers,
listen to guest speakers from the community, and participate in “house challenges’ between the students. At
the beginning of their sixth-grade year, students are assigned to a house. These houses are known at Pattillo
as Norse, Dane, Hakon, and Vanir. During these celebrations, students sit with their houses and volunteer to
participate in the games or challenges.

At the start of February, we plan to kick off Black History Month by spending an entire week discussing the
principles and themes of the Black Lives Matter movement. As a school, we will celebrate our Black Lives
Matter Week starting Monday, February 4, 2019, ending with a Harambee celebration on Friday February 8,
2019 at 8:00 AM. Throughout the duration of the week, we plan to have a variety of guest speakers and
community members attend this event and participate in meaningful conversations with our students and
staff.

As the Harambee advisor for this school year and for this specific event on Friday February 8 th and 8:00 AM,
we would love to formally request and invite you to speak at our celebration for our students. We believe that
many of our students would enjoy learning from and speaking with you about your experiences thus far as
collegiate men and women. If you are interested in this event, please let me know how we can best
accommodate you during your visit. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Megan Wieseman
Special Education Teacher
W.A. Pattillo Middle School