Derby Tea Party Helps Pennington Students Honor Women's History Month

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Mount Vernon students celebrated Women's History Month with style, grace, sophistication and maybe just a spoon of sugar.

From the Mount Vernon City School District.

Young ladies in stylized hats and pastel-dresses gathered at the media center at Pennington School with anticipation for the first Women’s History Month Derby Tea Party Celebration on Thursday, March 14, 2024. In preparation for the event, students took etiquette classes taught by Crystal Breaux, special committee assistant twice a week for four weeks. Here, they learned how to sit properly at the dining table, how to set up a table, and how to mix and mingle with others while dining.

"Especially in our community, we do big events like this and to be able to see everybody gather together and see such successful people and such powerful people at my school, it is very inspiring," said Jada Matin, eighth grade student at Pennington. "It is really nice that Mrs. Hopkins put all of this together. It is a very fancy event, we have been training, been in elegance class over the past two weeks. We learn how to sit, how to properly drink tea. It’s just a very nice event, especially for Women’s History Month."

Pennington School welcomed an esteemed group of Mount Vernon women to be panelists for the tea party discussion. The panel was made up of an arrangement of women with various backgrounds from dentistry to education. They informed, educated and empowered the young ladies to go after their goals and strive to dream.

"I am attending this Women’s History celebration to empower young girls and reassure them that they can do whatever they want to, just as long as they believe in themselves," said Dr. Sherry Ransom, foot doctor specialist / podiatrist in Mount Vernon.

Each panelist discussed how they were able to get where they are now in their careers and obstacles they overcame along the way. After discussing their paths in life, scholars asked the panelists questions. After the question and answer session,everyone was welcomed to help themselves to lite bites and refreshments. Students spoke to the panelists one on one to further discuss how to achieve their goals.

"I think it was very important to host our first national celebration of Women’s History Month, derby tea party style, because I think it’s important for our young ladies to be exposed," said Kenyetta Hopkins, Assistant Principal at Pennington School. "Once you expose them, I believe they will become engaged, and once you engage them, you can educate them. I wanted them to meet local women in the community, in the great city of Mount Vernon, that have positions and are living, breathing women that are historical right here in Mount Vernon."