Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on September 14, 2026, link to article HERE.
Martinsburg North Middle School invited students out to its America Rocks event on Thursday - an interactive learning experience celebrating the 250th anniversary of the country and remembering 9/11.
Organized by the social studies teachers, the event was designed for families to bring people together and teach them about America’s history.
Social studies teacher Mary Updike first had the idea for this event during the summer. She wanted to find a fun way to celebrate and recognize both the 250th anniversary of America and the 25th anniversary of 9/11 while engaging students with history. She started brainstorming ideas and brought it to the other social studies teachers to see if this was something they wanted to do. The answer was a resounding yes.
When she tried applying for a grant that didn’t go through, Updike thought her idea would stop there. However, she realized most of the activities she had planned she could try making herself. After using a bit of her own pocket money and working together with the other teachers, her idea started coming to life.
“Having an event like this is important, because it helps kids understand the freedoms we have and how things have changed,” Updike said. “I put up a poster of the Bill of Rights and some other things for families to look at. It’s just important that they know about our country.”
As guests came in, they received a punch card. As they visited every station, they had the opportunity to mark it on their card and submit a completed card for a prize. Some of the stations included memory games, filling in timelines, matching descriptions to important locations, learning how to fold an American flag, a STEM station where they could make containers for a tea bag to see if it floats and more.
Updike’s favorite part about putting this event together was watching the kids’ anticipation grow. When they saw the prizes she bought for the event, which included bracelets, lollipops and other fun treats, many of them wanted them, but Updike said they had to wait and come out to get their prize. With many of the students learning about 9/11 during school, Updike wanted to include some of the stories they learned so students could make connections that go beyond the classroom.
“I hope that the kids see that learning can be fun, and learning is everywhere, not just in the classroom," Updike said.