In honor of America’s annual Black History Month, the Seminole Ridge High School media center has a rare cultural treasure on display: the first authentic black doll to be produced and sold in the United States.
You may be surprised to learn that the 65-year-old Sara Lee doll, who looks pretty good for her age, was conceived and developed in Belle Glade by a white Southerner, Sara Lee Creech. The Sara Lee doll was considered at the time to be one of the most significant multicultural advances in American history.
It was a long and difficult road from conception to production, but thanks to the help of writer Zora Neale Hurston and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the doll was manufactured by the Ideal Toy Company and made available in time for Christmas 1952.
Dancers Rate Superior — Hawk dancers Annalise Calvert, Breanna Brooks, Brianna Domaceti, Kimberly Hoff and Jessica Rigg represented SRHS at the Florida Dance Performance Assessments Feb. 3-4 at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, earning Superior ratings in Ensemble Performance, Movement Acquisition and Technical Proficiency, as well as an overall Superior rating for the school, the highest rating in the four years of state assessment performance.
Wrestlers Compete at Hall of Fame Tourney — SRHS competed with 25 other high schools Feb. 3-4 at the annual Palm Beach County Wrestling Hall of Fame Championships. Even with several holes in the lineup, the SRHS team still managed to pull out a sixth-place team finish. Six wrestlers placed in the top six for their weight class, and two were in the top three. Seminole Ridge also had its first-ever female compete in the Hall of Fame tournament: Jayla Coombs became the first to get a win, and the first to get a pin — both against male competitors.
Congratulations to: 106 pounds – Hilton Luciano, fifth place; 126 pounds – Hunter Claunch, sixth place; 132 pounds: Matt Susich, sixth place; 138 pounds: John Arnold, third place; 170 pounds: Mitchell Clark, third place; and 285 pounds: Nelson Sutton, sixth place.
SGA Takes a Bronze at District Rally — The SRHS Student Government Association sent 21 delegates to Park Vista High School Jan. 21 for the Florida Association of Student Councils district rally in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. The Hawks took third place in the School Service category for the Hawk Heads cafeteria project, headed by SGA President Rebecca Moccia and committee members Collin Berryhill, Olivia Campbell, Ireland Ruiz and Abigail Widrig. In addition, SGA members Brianna Domaceti and Andrea Saccoman performed in the District 5 talent show.
Thespians To Present Once Upon a Mattress — Once Upon a Mattress, a fun musical comedy based on the classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea, ascends the SRHS stage at 7 p.m. March 2, 3, 10 and 11. Many know the story… but you’ve never seen it like this, with larger-than-life characters and musical enjoyment for all — a perennial favorite for children and adults of all ages. Tickets starting at $10 are available at the door and through www.showtix4u.com. For group rates and additional information, call (561) 422-2655.
Byrne of Burnzzz Wins Big Bucks — SRHS Future Business Leaders of America junior Brett Byrne, CEO of Burnzzz, competed against 30 individuals and teams Jan. 27 in Palm Beach Atlantic University’s annual Entrepreneurship High School Challenge. Byrne advanced to the final round, presenting his business concept to a panel of local business professionals and winning $500 for second place.
ABOVE: SRHS junior Brett Byrne, CEO of Burnzz.
