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Kenosha Unified holds Black History Bee; Pleasant Prairie student Marco wins
Summary
Kenosha Unified School District hosted a Black History Bee at Mahone Middle School. Marco, a student representing Pleasant Prairie Elementary, won the competition; judges and staff recognized dozens of student participants and awarded art and reading contest medals.
Kenosha Unified School District on a date not specified held its Black History Bee at Mahone Middle School, where Marco, a student from Pleasant Prairie Elementary School, emerged as the winner of the oral competition.
The event gathered students and staff from across the district; Taylor Schmidt, principal of Forest Park Elementary, opened the program and thanked families and educators for bringing students to the competition. "Being here today does matter for our students," Schmidt said, calling the gathering "an honor" and praising the chance to "see the greatness in our students every day." The program included an opening student recitation of "I Have a Dream," round-by-round quiz competition, and awards for art and reading contests.
The bee followed a single-elimination format run by moderator and event staff; correct answers allowed contestants to remain at the microphone while incorrect answers sent them to the judges' table for recognition. Mrs. Fisher, who coordinated much of the event, explained the audience rules and repeatedly encouraged supportive applause for both correct and incorrect answers, saying, "I told them they are the hero of their school today." Judges at the table included Tamara Coleman, CEO of Racine Family YMCA, and Kaisha Goodloe, head secretary at Bradford and a former Black History Bee participant.
Organizers named winners in several categories before and during the oral rounds. Art contest winners called to the stage were Madeline Gallagher (first place, Southport Elementary), Maddie Larter (second place, Pleasant Prairie Elementary), and Evelyn Coyne (third place, Nash Elementary). Reading-contest winners announced during the program were Isaiah Dale (first place, Frank Elementary), Jasmine Lawrence (second place, Lakeview Academy) and Lachlan Schiffer (third place, Forest Park Elementary).
The oral competition proceeded through multiple rounds of questions on Black history figures and local connections. The final two contestants were Anna (representing Summers Elementary) and Marco (representing Pleasant Prairie Elementary). Marco answered the final sequence correctly to win the district title; Anna finished as the runner-up. Organizers invited all participants back to the stage for final recognition and photographs.
A Forest Park Elementary fifth-grade group, guided by teacher Mrs. Cielko, performed a recitation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" as part of the program's opening. Staff asked teachers and chaperones to regroup classes at the program's conclusion so students could be escorted to buses.
The program was presented as a district-wide educational event rather than a formal board meeting action. No formal votes, resolutions, or policy actions were taken. Organizers and judges emphasized celebration of student learning and supportive audience behavior as the central purpose of the day. The program concluded with thanks to hosts, judges and volunteers and directions for teachers to gather students for dismissal.
