Embedded Files
Welcome!
Welcome!
Welcome to the February/March issue of the Noah Wallace IDEA+ Community Newsletter! The IDEA+ Committee is dedicated to honoring and empowering all members of our Noah Wallace community.
This edition highlights Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Fasching, International Women’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Holi and more. In the newsletter below, you will ‘see’ some of these through the eyes of our community. We’ll also preview some of the exciting things coming during the month of March! Each edition, we’ll continue to share children’s books on these themes and more, which are all available in the Noah Wallace Library.
For next month’s newsletter, we still need your help! Our April/May themes will include: AAPI Heritage Month, Eid-al-Fitr, Passover, Easter and more. We’d love to hear about your upcoming plans and typical celebrations.
Please submit your personal stories, recipes, photographs, or book suggestions. No idea is too small! Your reflections will be included in the next newsletter and on the website.
The Raffle continues! The first five families to submit content will be entered, and one lucky family will win a copy of the newsletter’s featured book Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, by Vashti Harrison. Our December Winner: The Rosado Family! Thank you for sharing and for reading!
-NWS IDEA+ Committee
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Calendar
Calendar
*Calendar images from Seramount.
IDEA+ Club Upcoming Events
IDEA+ Club Upcoming Events
Cultural Conversations
Cultural Conversations
Wed. March 30 at 6:30pm
Please plan to join us for our next Cultural Conversation on March 30th at 6pm. Together we will view popular movie clips to learn about the tendency to process information based on unconscious associations and feelings and how that can make others feel. Lakeesha Brown will facilitate the meeting.
IDEA+ Club Event Replays
IDEA+ Club Event Replays
Did you miss one of our recent events? Our virtual events are available to watch on our Events page.
MLK Family Cultural Event - Storytelling with Laconia Therrio
MLK Family Cultural Event - Storytelling with Laconia Therrio
Cultural Conversations - The Red Lollipop with Dr. Huber
Cultural Conversations - The Red Lollipop with Dr. Huber
Native American Heritage Month Family Cultural Event - with Darlene from the Institute of American Indian Studies
Native American Heritage Month Family Cultural Event - with Darlene from the Institute of American Indian Studies
Noah Wallace Celebrates
Noah Wallace Celebrates
Korean New Year: The Ahn Family
Korean New Year: The Ahn Family
“We are a Korean-American family and celebrate Lunar New Year. Here are some ways we celebrate the annual holiday, including how we feast!
On the Korean Lunar New year "Seol-Lal" morning, we dress up in Korean traditional wear ‘Hanbok’ and eat rice cake soup ‘Tteokguk’ with the whole family. Tteokguk is a traditional Korean food that is customarily eaten for the New Year. The dish is a soup with thinly sliced rice cakes. According to tradition, the Korean New Year is similar to a birthday for Koreans, and having Tteokguk is part of the birthday celebration. Once you finish eating your Tteokguk, you are considered one year older. After mealtime, one of the most important traditions for a child during Seollal is ‘Sebae’. Sebae is the most important of all the Korean Lunar New Year traditions. It is the act of kneeling on the ground and bowing deeply so that your hands are also on the ground. Younger people must bow deeply to their elders and wish them a happy new year. This is a ritual in which young children pay their respects to their elders with a traditional bow. Most elders choose to ‘reward’ children with money. Regardless, elders still get the chance to give children words of wisdom, also known as ‘dokdam’. We also have a video call with our family in Korea and Sebae virtually to the grandparents, aunt, and uncle at their nighttime due to the time zone differences. Finally, we play ‘Yunnori’ (Korean traditional board game) with family. Korean Lunar New Year is always special to our family!”
LunarNewYear.movValentine's Day Traditions: The Jannetto Family
Valentine's Day Traditions: The Jannetto Family
“Every year for Valentine’s Day, I (mom) put ‘conversation hearts’ on each of the children’s bedroom doors. I write the different, special things about each of them, different things I love, their best qualities on the hearts. They wake up to a door full of hearts with wonderful things on them and we leave them up until we redecorate for another holiday.”
The Heiner-Tostmann Family Celebrates Fasching
The Heiner-Tostmann Family Celebrates Fasching
“Fasching is the German carnival season that culminates with parades, parties, costumes, and pranks on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Historically, it provided a festive season of food and fun before Lenten fasting. Fasching also marked the change in season from winter to spring - Fasching celebrations were thought to drive out the dark spirits of winter and make room for the renewal of spring! To this day, Fasching is a time to break rules and make fun of those in charge.
Our family had so much fun celebrating Fasching with The German School of Connecticut this year. We dressed in silly ways, played games, and ate Berliners (doughnuts filled with cream or jelly)”.
St. Patrick’s Day: The Benanti Family
St. Patrick’s Day: The Benanti Family
“We love to celebrate St Patrick's day. We run in the O'Hartford 5k and make sure to wear our festive green!”
Holi: The Adsul Family
Holi: The Adsul Family
The festival of Colors is Holi, it is vibrant and filled with beautiful Colors. Holi is considered as one of major festival in India. It is celebrated in the month of March on full moon day according to Hindu calendar. With the onset of spring, northern India gets into the Colorful mood of Holi. This festival also denotes celebration due to good harvests and land fertility. This Colorful festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. This festival is celebrated in a grand style in the city of Mathura and Vrindavan. These are two important cities which are deeply associated to Lord Krishna. Here is more about Holi:
HOLI The Festival of Colors
The festival of Colors is Holi, it is vibrant and filled with beautiful Colors. Holi is considered as one of major festival in India. It is celebrated in the month of March on full moon day according to Hindu calendar.
With the onset of spring, northern India gets into the Colorful mood of Holi. This festival also denotes celebration due to good harvests and land fertility. This Colorful festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. This festival is celebrated in a grand style in the city of Mathura and Vrindavan. These are two important cities which are deeply associated to Lord Krishna.
The festival of Colors teaches humankind to transcend above the caste and creed. It is a festival to forget old grievances and meeting others with great warmth & high spirit. This festival begins with the lighting of bonfire on Holi eve.
Next day, people play Holi with different types of Colors, abirs and gulals. They greet each other with Shubh Holi i.e. Happy Holi and send warm wishes of the festival.
Kids and adults come out of their house and smear each other with bright shades of gulal. Colorful waters are sprinkled on people and kids are found playing with pichkari and water balloons. People exchange sweets, Thandai and snacks among neighbours and friends. Popular Holi sweets are Gujiya, Ladoo, Burfi and Imarti etc. Indian festive celebration is incomplete without delicious sweets.
People also dance in the beats of Holi songs and popular folka's music. Exchange of holi gifts, snack hampers, dry fruits and greeting cards are also found.
Holi festival has religious and historical significance in Hindu texts. There was a very popular mythological legend about king 'Hiranyakashyapu' and his son 'Prahlad'. The devil king used to hate God esp. Lord Vishnu and threatened people in his kingdom to stop worshipping him. But this King's own son was a verdant devotee of Lord Vishnu.
He denied obeying his father command and this infuriated the king. Hiranyakashyapu instructed his sister 'Holika' to pulverize his own son Prahald. Holika had the boon to being immune to fire. She was absolutely sure that she would not get affected by the blazing fire and took seat on the fire with young Prahlad. Lord Vishnu rendered protection of his devotee Prahlad and he was alive but Holika was burnt into death. There of, the festival of Holi signifies the victory of good over evil.
Today, the festival of Color gives us an opportunity to reunite with family, friends and dear ones. This festivity brings Colors into the life of people, when they can take a break from their monotonous life and share the joy with loved ones. Everyone plays Holi by chasing each other and throwing bright gulal and Colored water
Read the original document submitted with the Adsul family traditions here.
Jelly Bean Garden: The Paoletto Family
Jelly Bean Garden: The Paoletto Family
A few weeks before Easter, we plant Jelly Beans and Easter morning we watch as the jelly beans turn into a fun easter garden. We leave most of the easter grass out and the birds magically clean up all the easter grass and weave them into nests. It's really pretty.
From the Noah Wallace Library
From the Noah Wallace Library
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison
This New York Times bestseller introduces readers to trailblazing Black women in American history by pairing rich mini biographies with eye-catching portraits. The compilation reads chronologically, beginning with enslaved poet Phillis Wheatley (born in 1753) and ending with Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes (born in 1976). In between, Vashti brings to life both iconic and lesser-known Black female figures, from abstract painter Alma Thomas to writer and activist Audre Lorde. Children and adults will find inspiration and positive role models in a wide range of fields including science, arts, journalism, politics, and sports. The beautifully illustrated portraits, which contextualize each woman’s achievements, make this a perfect read-a-loud to younger children, while upper elementary students will enjoy exploring the book on their own.
This book can be found in the Noah Wallace Library, just ask Ms Jusseaume!
More Books of the Month
More Books of the Month
St. Patrick's Day
by Gail Gibbons
How to Build a Leprechaun Trap
by Larissa Juliano
She Raised Her Voice: 50 Black Women Who Sang Their Way Into Music History
by Jordannah Elizabeth
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World
by Chelsea Clinton
Amelia to Zora: 26 Women Who Changed the World
by Cynthia Chin-Lee, Illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy
Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Black History
by Vashti Harrison
Black Artists Shaping the World
by Sharna Jackson
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Stories of Black Girl Magic
by Lilly Workneh
A Short History of Valentine's Day
by Pebble Plus
Celebrations in My World: Holi
by Lynn Peppas
Carlos & Carmen: Too Many Valentines
by Kirsten McDonald
The Year of the Dog
by Grace Lin
Sam and the Lucky Money
by Karen Chinn
Culturally Curious
Culturally Curious
Want to learn more about February and March holidays? We invite you to start here with these curated resources:
Lunar New Year occurs this year on February 1st and is sometimes known as Chinese New Year. Korean Lunar New Year or 설날 (Seollal) is the Korean version of Chinese New Year. It is celebrated at the same time as Chinese New Year (except for a rare case every several years where they fall a day apart) and, as the name indicates, is dependent on the lunar calendar. In Korean, you can wish someone “Saehae bok mani badeuseyo” or “Please receive a lot of luck in the new year.” Learn more.
Black History Month was the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. It was reportedly first proposed by Black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State a year later, from January 2 to February 28, 1970. Learn more here. And here.
Makha Bucha Day (also written as Māgha Pūjā) occurred in February this year and is the second most important Buddhist festival, celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in several countries including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar. On the day, Buddhists celebrate the creation of an ideal and exemplary community, which is why it is sometimes called Saṅgha Day, the Saṅgha referring to the Buddhist community, and for some Buddhist schools this is specifically the monastic community. Some authors referred to the day as the Buddhist All Saints Day. Learn more.
This image shows Buddhist monks carrying candle lights during Makha Bucha Day at the Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple in Pathum Thani province, Thailand, February 16, 2022. [credit: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun] The dome is actually made up of one million lanterns and illuminated statues of The Buddha.
Holi is on March 17th this year and is called “the festival of colors” because in celebration “gulal” (colored powder) is thrown at each other as a symbol of joy and love, and celebrates the victory of good! It is a renowned and ancient Hindu festival and is a two-day celebration welcoming spring. A delicate sweet made with milk solids and nuts, called “gujiya” is a popular food during Holi, along with the traditional drink “bhang”. Learn more.
Women’s History Month during March has a theme of “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope,” according to the National Women’s History Alliance. This is as both a tribute to caregivers and frontline workers during the pandemic and also as recognition of the impact that women of all cultures have had throughout history. Learn more.
Community Events
Community Events
St Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford
St Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford
Saturday, March 12 at 11am
The parade begins at Capitol Avenue by the State Capitol, takes a left on Main Street, a left on Asylum, a left on Ford Street, and then ends by the Memorial Arch. If you can not make it downtown, the parade will be broadcast live on CW 20 (beginning at 11:30a.m.) on Saturday March 12th.
Click here to see a list of St. Patrick's Day celebrations around CT!
Farmington's 44th Annual Spring Celebration
Farmington's 44th Annual Spring Celebration
Saturday, April 9 from 10am-1pm
Join Farmington’s 44th Annual Spring Celebration at the Farmington Polo Club for an egg hunt, bunny photos, food trucks and more!
Open Call to Families
Open Call to Families
Your contributions are what make this newsletter rich and engaging! IDEA+ encourages every member of the community to consider sharing so that it keeps growing strong. Going forward, we hope to have student voices represented as well and would love any pictures, stories, recipes your little one may also want to submit. Our own ‘normal’ may be new, different and exciting to another in our community - and we always love to hear how everyone is doing!
Please submit here, and be entered into our upcoming book raffle!
If you’re interested in attending the IDEA+ Committee meetings, we encourage you to click on the link provided for more information. You can also email the NWS PTO (nwpto@fpsct.org) with questions or ideas.
Thank you again!
NWS IDEA+ Committee
Page updated
Report abuse