Morris Jeff Community School Celebrates Morris Jeff Legacy Month

Date: November 16th, 2020

School honoring namesake Morris Jeff with brunch, silent auction and raffle

Through November 22, 2020, the Morris Jeff community will come together to honor the life and legacy of its namesake, Mr. Morris FX Jeff. The events will honor the accomplishments of the school’s namesake and acknowledge the unique school community he inspired.
Throughout the month of November, Morris Jeff will celebrate its vibrant, diverse community with fun and fellowship that includes a Virtual Trivia Night, Brunch sponsored by Ruby Slipper Cafe, and an online auction to benefit the school:
Virtual Trivia Night: Friday, November 13th at 6:30 PM. FREE, but online reservations required. Ruby Slipper Patron Brunches To-Go Packages: Saturday, November 14th and Saturday, November 21st.

Online Auction: Including original art, gift certificates and more!

To make reservations or purchase brunches and auction items, go to: https://one.bidpal.net/mjcs or www.morrisjeffschool.org

Sponsorship purchases and donations can be made at www.bidpal.net/mjcs. View our Legacy Month Sponsor Packet here.

For more information, contact Julie at development@morrisjeffschool.org.

About Morris FX Jeff:
Morris Jeff Sr. worked as a teacher, but during the great depression was forced to take a job in 1940 as a laborer digging ditches in New Orleans for the WPA. Eventually, Mr. Jeff was promoted to the recreation department and ultimately, he was instrumental in creating the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD).
In 1946, NORD was one of the first programs of its kind in the country, and in the first two years, 58 playgrounds and 8 pools were built, creating jobs and safe places to play across New Orleans. Mr. Jeff worked tirelessly to ensure that Black children had access to all facilities and activities that White children had available to them through NORD.
From the start, Jeff ensured there were programs in the arts and recreation opportunities for both youth and senior citizens, pioneering the way we think about recreation in the U.S. Mr. Jeff did all of this amazing work, often while working other jobs in the New Orleans Public School system, where he worked as a teacher and coach at McDonough 35 and Booker T. Washington schools.
Mr. Jeff’s work is inspiring in its own right, but we find it especially meaningful that although he found himself living in the Jim Crow era during the worst economic crisis our country had ever seen – he channeled his belief that recreation and play could change children’s lives and paired it with strength, courage, and grit to create the NORD Commission.

About Morris Jeff Community School:
Morris Jeff Community School is a top-performing, open-admissions, PK-12 public charter school serving more than 1,200 students in Orleans Parish. Morris Jeff is the only Lousiana school Authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) for Pre-K through Grade 12. In May 2021, Morris Jeff will proudly graduate its first senior class. By offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP), Morris Jeff is committed to producing engaged, talented, creative and caring young people who can contribute to our global society in meaningful ways.

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