Monday may have been the official holiday marking the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. But at Briarcliff High School the celebration has expanded to a full week.

Members of the Student Coalition for Human Dignity used chalk to write inspiring quotes and messages on the sidewalk in front of the school. Quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. were read aloud on the school public address system each day during period eight. And there was also a “gallery walk” facilitated by students from the club.

There is no shortage of talent at Roxanne Ritacco’s SUNY Beginning Oil Painting class at Briarcliff High School. Sophomores and juniors have been working on still life paintings, while using one of two different types of techniques.

When was the last time you received a hand-written letter in the mail? For many students at Briarcliff High School, apart from holiday cards, the answer is “never.” Letter writing is indeed a dying tradition, but English teacher Dr. Thomas Kenney hopes to revive it among his students.

Asking for help with a mental health problem can be difficult.

The JCK Foundation aims to destigmatize mental health. The foundation recently visited one of Briarcliff High School’s health classes to discuss the importance of seeking mental health care, and to highlight the many resources Briarcliff High School offers to students.

How do you express an idea using visuals and only a few words?

In Roxanne Ritacco’s Drawing and Painting I class at Briarcliff High School, students are learning to do just that. Recently, the students – mostly ninth graders – worked on posters that convey messages using as few words as possible, in an “Artists as Activists” project.

At Briarcliff High School, students are always thinking of ways to help one another. For example, in AP Computer Science class, students have been creating apps that help other Briarcliff students.