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Welcome!
Welcome!
Welcome to the first installment of the Noah Wallace IDEA+ Community Newsletter for the 2022-23 school year! The IDEA+ Club is dedicated to honoring and empowering all members of our Noah Wallace community. We are so excited to share our community’s reflections. Each future newsletter will continue to gather submissions from YOU to share and celebrate together. This edition highlights Native American Heritage month, Diwali, Christmas traditions and more. To the families that contributed pictures, recipes and information about holidays and cultural traditions for this newsletter, thank you for making this possible!
We hope sharing in each other’s worlds will help us strengthen and celebrate our dynamic and diverse community. In the newsletter below, you will find firsthand perspectives on the themes of the month. You will also discover submissions from the Noah Wallace art and music teachers that highlight our themes.
For next season’s newsletter, we need your help! Our Winter themes include Hanukkah, Chinese New Year and Black History Month.
Please submit your personal stories, recipes, photographs, and book suggestions. Your reflections will be included in the next newsletter and on the website. The first five families to submit content will be entered into a raffle, and one lucky family will win a copy of this month’s featured book!
Thank you!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
IDEA+ Club (Recent) Events
IDEA+ Club (Recent) Events
Sights, Tastes and Sounds of Noah Wallace
Saturday, October 22nd from 1pm-3pm
Sights, Tastes and Sounds of Noah Wallace
Saturday, October 22nd from 1pm-3pm
We had a great afternoon by the NWS Playground trying many new foods, learning about new cultures, and celebrating the diversity of our community. We had shared storytime, a trivia contest and a dance party! It was wonderful to see so many members of our community learning from and sharing with each other.
Bushnell Carousel Event
Bushnell Carousel Event
Saturday, November 12th from 10am-12pm
It was so wonderful to see so many students and teachers enjoying a beautiful day in the park! The carousel was so much fun and the playground was a big hit as well. It was great to meet new members of our community and catch up with old friends at the same time. Thank you to all who came and shared the day with us!
Noah Wallace Celebrates
Noah Wallace Celebrates
Christmas: The Gambardella Family
Christmas: The Gambardella Family
Every Christmas since I was little, (and every Christmas before that when my mum was little,) we make an Italian dessert called "Struffoli", which we pronounce "stufala". Depending on which part of Italy your family is from, you may pronounce it a bit differently. Struffoli are also known as honey balls. It is a Neapolitan dish made of deep fried balls of sweet dough. The dough is formed into balls about the size of marbles (or smaller, if you want them extra crunchy!). Crunchy on the outside and light inside, Struffoli are mixed with honey and other sweet ingredients. There are many different ways to flavor them, but the traditional way is to mix them in honey with nonpareils sprinkles, cinnamon, and bits of orange rind. When I started dating Mr. Gambardella and joined his family for the Italian Christmas Eve tradition of the feast of the seven fishes, I was so excited and comforted that his family also made Struffoli. It's one of my favorite parts of Christmas! Recently we've been trying different flavored honeys to see if we can enhance our recipe and make it even more delicious! Have you ever tried Struffoli before? How does your family flavor Struffoli?
Holding Space for ALL Traditions: The Smith Family
Holding Space for ALL Traditions: The Smith Family
Ever since marrying Michael I have begun going to the United Church of Christ. My entire life I have considered myself a Christian, but it wasn’t until joining the UCC that I felt such an open and affirming sense of love and community for all. Jesus calls on me to love all peoples. No matter who you are and where you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome at First Church in Farmington. This picture here shows Charlotte, Jane, and I enjoying food traditions from both sides of the family. On Christmas Day we serve lots of pork and pierogis from my Polish and Lithuanian lineage, and lots of Italian seafood choices from Michael’s Italian lineage. What I love most about my family and how we celebrate, is that we forge traditions and hold space for what they once meant and how we interpret it today. There is room for all traditions, as there is always room for love and acceptance. Sending every person, with every tradition, the space and respect to celebrate.
Pie Day! : The Battista/Fascendini Family
Pie Day! : The Battista/Fascendini Family
Every year we get together as a family and make and then bake lots of apple pies for the upcoming holiday season. We simply call it "pie day"- not to be confused with the other pi day. This year, we made 68 pies together- and yes the house smelled AMAZING! We have different stations and everyone gets to decide which station they would like to do to help make the pies. Everything from peeling the apples to making dough to mixing the apple batter to rolling out the dough the family works together to accomplish the large volume of pies within 3 hours. Each family gets to take home (and freeze) multiple pies to share at other family/friend's events throughout the year.
Food for Thought
Food for Thought
The Parankusham family shared some delicious food with us at The Sights, Tastes and Sounds of Noah Wallace. Have you ever eaten either of these dishes? What does your family like to cook?
Lentil soup - lentils, tamarind, vegetables, salt, chili powder, garam masala, curry leaves, coriander leaves
Aloo bajji - potatoes, chickpea flour, canola oil, ajwain, salt, chili powder, garam masala, dry mango powder, coriander leaves
From the Noah Wallace Library
From the Noah Wallace Library
Book of the Month:
Book of the Month:
Fry Bread by Kevin Maillard
Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. Fry bread is food. It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.
Look and Listen to the World Around You
Look and Listen to the World Around You
Mandala
(submitted by Mrs. Pedemonti)
Mandala
(submitted by Mrs. Pedemonti)
Third Grade students at Noah Wallace School have been working hard on creating Mandalas that show balance and radial symmetry. Mandala is a Sanskrit word for “circle”. Some people who celebrate Diwali create Mandalas! Mandalas have repeated patterns and they can be used as a symbol to represent the universe. The process of creating a Mandala can be a form of meditation, too!
September Musician of the Month: Lin-Manuel Miranda
(submitted by Ms. Speranza)
September Musician of the Month: Lin-Manuel Miranda
(submitted by Ms. Speranza)
Students enjoyed listening to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music during National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15). Lin’s family came to New York from Puerto Rico. His compositions contain many Latin-inspired instruments and rhythms, especially his music from the movies Vivo and Encanto.
Culturally Curious
Culturally Curious
Native American Heritage Month
Native American Heritage Month
As stated in a proclamation from the White House: “During National Native American Heritage Month, we celebrate Indigenous peoples past and present and rededicate ourselves to honoring Tribal sovereignty, promoting Tribal self-determination, and upholding the United States’ solemn trust and treaty responsibilities to Tribal Nations.” More information can be found here and here.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The theme this year is “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world“. The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on December 3rd was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Click here for more.
Las Posadas
Las Posadas
Las Posadas is a Christmas festival celebrated in Latin America, especially Mexico, and in Hispanic communities in the United States. The name is Spanish for “the Inns.” The festival is celebrated for nine nights, beginning on December 16 and ending on Christmas Eve. Las Posadas recalls the journey Joseph and Mary made to Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus Christ. When they arrived in Bethlehem, they could not find a room at an inn. Mary and Joseph were forced to stay in a stable, where Jesus was born. Each night of Las Posadas begins with a procession of children. They are dressed as angels, shepherds, the Three Kings, Mary, and Joseph. More info here.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26 through January 1st. It is a holiday to commemorate African heritage, during which participants gather with family and friends to exchange gifts and to light a series of black, red, and green candles. These candles symbolize the seven basic values of African-American family life: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. More info here.
Community Events
Community Events
Smithsonian Virtual Native Cinema Showcase
Smithsonian Virtual Native Cinema Showcase
November 18-25, virtual
The museum’s annual Native Cinema Showcase celebrates Indigenous filmmakers from communities throughout the Western Hemisphere and the Artic. The event will showcase 35 films of multiple genres such as documentaries, music videos and films in Indigenous languages. All films will be available on demand from Nov. 18 - 25.
Living History Talk: The Real History of Christmas in New England
Stanley Whitman House, 37 High St,
Wednesday, December 7th at 6pm
Living History Talk: The Real History of Christmas in New England
Stanley Whitman House, 37 High St,
Wednesday, December 7th at 6pm
We all have formed in our minds a picture of a perfect early New England Christmas. This image might include families decorating an evergreen tree, bedecking their houses with garlands, attending church services, giving gifts, and Santa Claus. It is amazing how many of us have these elements in our mental image of this festive time of the year. The reality of Christmas in early New England may be disappointing to some and unbelievable to many, but the historical actuality of the celebration of Christmas, or lack thereof, is an interesting tale and one that blends the heritage and spirit of many cultures and many lands.
Celebrate Light
Farmington Library, 6 Monteith Drive
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 | 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Celebrate Light
Farmington Library, 6 Monteith Drive
Tuesday, December 20, 2022 | 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Let’s get ready for the longest night of the year with light! We’ll read stories about light and the winter solstice, create art, talk about how we can shine our light from within, and make luminaries you can display at home for tomorrow night's solstice.
Free event, ages 5-12. Register here.
Festival of Trees and Traditions
Wadsworth Atheneum
December 1-11, 2022
Festival of Trees and Traditions
Wadsworth Atheneum
December 1-11, 2022
Festival of Trees & Traditions invites the community to visit the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art to enjoy trees and wreaths decorated by community members, artists, and organizations.
Click here for a full schedule of performances throughout the event and information about tickets.
Of note: The Farmington High School Madrigal Singers will be performing Friday, December 2 at noon.
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
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