George School will be in session on Monday, January 19, 2009, to hold its twentieth annual all-day commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The day will begin in Walton Center Auditorium with an all-school assembly featuring storyteller Mark Judelson from 8:55 to 10:25 a.m. A performer who dramatizes the true stories of individuals who responded to violence and hatred with acts of peace, Mark has told stories at high schools, colleges, churches, synagogues, prisons, and conferences for over twenty years. At the assembly he will present a story entitled “In the Lions’ Den,” which recounts the life of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002. Told from the point of view of Daniel, the story will depict the events leading up to the kidnapping, Daniel’s love for his wife and unborn son, his commitment to truth, and his love of music.

Following the assembly, various workshop sessions on campus will encourage participants to discuss and reflect in a variety of ways on Dr. King’s message of multiculturalism, diversity, and peace. Workshops are scheduled to run from 10:30 to 11:20 a.m., 11:25 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and 12:20 to 1:10 p.m.

The commemoration will conclude with an all-school meeting for worship from 1:20 to 2:00 p.m. in the George School Meetinghouse.

In addition, a group of students and faculty will participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in Philadelphia. Some of George School’s volunteers will take part in maintenance efforts at St. Cyprian Catholic School, while others will support the work of hunger relief organization Philabundance.

About George School
Founded in 1893 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), George School, a rigorous coed boarding and day school for grades nine through twelve, educates students from twenty-one states, thirty-two foreign countries, and a variety of ethnic, racial, religious, and economic backgrounds. Through its commitment to diversity and the Quaker values of equality, integrity, and peacemaking, George School inspires students to be led by their own truths while respecting and appreciating opinions and beliefs different from their own. George School was one of the first schools in the United States to implement an International Baccalaureate diploma program. For information about admission, please call 215.579.6547 or visit http://www.georgeschool.org.