New Haven Independent

The students sang Harry Belafonte’s “Turn The World Around” at the first school-wide “town meeting” of the year at Davis’s temporary swing space on Legion, a block from Career High.

Waltrina Kirkland-Mullins, a third-grade teacher as well as the staffer responsible for putting together school-wide events, said she had more than just the song’s catchy tune in mind when she chose it. She likes the Belafonte song’s message: “If we interact with one another as a human family, learning to respect one another and celebrate our diversity and cultural similarities together, we can turn the world around!” The song also fit into the meeting’s theme: one of school psychologist James Comer’s “social pathways,” being considerate of others.

“They imbibe the song,” said Kirkland-Mullins (pictured).

At Friday’s town meeting the students put their all into the number — and took the rest of the school with them for the ride. Click on the play arrow at the top of the story to watch.