Post Falls fifth graders honor MLK with speeches on perseverance

Fifth graders from Post Falls elementary schools filled the auditorium at Post Falls High School on Jan. 16 to present personal reflections inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., turning a classroom lesson into a community moment about perseverance and civic responsibility.

Students from Ponderosa Elementary and Mullan Trail took the stage to describe obstacles in their own lives and how King’s words help them push forward. Isabelle Jensen of Ponderosa invoked King’s line, “If you can't fly, then run, if you can't run, then walk, if you can't walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward,” explaining that the passage gives her hope when she feels helpless. “The speeches he made gave hope to dark times,” Isabelle said, and she reminded peers, “You don’t have to be rich or powerful” to make a difference.

Stella Montour of Mullan Trail drew lessons of dedication and historical example, citing Ruby Bridges as a model of persistence in the fight to end school segregation. “She didn’t give up,” Stella said, adding that “by not giving up, people are able to fight for what they believe in and make the world a better place today.” Stella urged classmates to act locally: “Make change, each and every one of you has that power. You just have to make the first step.”

Educator and professional actor Stu Cabe framed those individual stories with a broader civic message using a parable he learned on Animal Planet about “Big Elephants” and “Little Elephants.” Wearing a shirt that combined the elephant story with an image of King, Cabe called King “a big elephant” and encouraged students to resist popular selfishness. “It took big elephants to know not to do something just because it’s selfish and popular,” Cabe said. “We need to do what is good and right.”

For Kootenai County, school events like this function as more than pageantry; they are a practical investment in social capital and civic norms that shape future participation in local government, workplaces, and community life. Teaching perseverance, moral courage, and examples of nonviolent change fosters the habits and networks that underpin local problem-solving and economic resilience over time.

The packed auditorium of fifth graders suggests strong school engagement in Post Falls and a community appetite for programming that connects history to students’ daily choices. As schools continue to stage lessons in civic values, those small steps of education can compound: young residents who learn to lead, speak up, and persist are likelier to become adults who contribute to local governance, volunteer efforts, and a stable workforce.

For families and neighbors, the takeaway is practical and immediate: children at local schools are receiving concrete examples of how individual action matters. Expect more student-led events this school year and continued opportunities to see Kootenai County’s values reflected in classrooms and community gatherings.