Spring 2023

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)
Aragorn Ahn

Ingredients:

1 pound flank steak or rip eye streak

thinly sliced 5 tablespoons soy sauce(you can use reduced sodium soy sauce)

2 ½ tablespoons brown sugar 

2 tablespoons minced garlic 

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 

1/2 small pear, peeled and coarsely grated 

2 tablespoons sesame oil 

2 tablespoons sesame seeds 

¼ cup chopped green onion 

1/2 cup sliced onion(optional) 

1/2 cup sliced mushroom(optional) 

Pinch of ground pepper 

Steps for Preparation: 

1. In a medium bowl, combine pear, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, ground pepper, onion, and mushroom in a bowl. Pour over beef. Combine soy sauce mixture and steak. Cover and refrigerate marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight.

2. Preheat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add steak to the pan in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until charred and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and steak.

Book of the Month

Eyes That Speak to the Stars by Johanna Ho

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, this much anticipated companion to the New York Times bestseller, Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, follows a young Taiwanese boy who is bullied for the shape of his eyes. Through the loving relationships he shares with his father, grandfather and baby brother, the boy comes to realize that his eyes connect him to his past and give him visions for the future.

This year, many of our classroom teachers and students have practiced a strategy that is quite new to us here at Noah Wallace, it is called choral counting.  Choral counting is exactly what it sounds like… it is counting together as a class in unison.  This practice has always been very common for our youngest learners, but this year, we have extended this strategy to engage some of our oldest students here at Noah Wallace!  

Choral counting is when the teacher thinks about a particular group of students and their needs and decides upon a target skill she wants to help them improve.  For example, some of our second graders this year were having a challenging time rounding decades when counting to numbers beyond 100 (ex. 99, 100, 101, 102…).  Together with their students, teachers would facilitate a discussion to help a small group of students think about something they want to get better at understanding as a mathematician.  Once they have a goal in mind, they jot in on a chart and think about a starting point, a stopping point, and what they want to count by (if skip counting is their goal).  The planning is very collaborative between teacher and students and they work together as a team to reach whatever goal they set!  Some examples of goals may include: skip counting by 10s starting at 70 and ending at 210, counting through decades, skip counting fractions by halves, skip counting decimals, finding multiples of 3 and much more! 

Now you may be thinking “This all sounds great, but how is this helping our students with culturally diverse backgrounds?”.  Let me explain… 

Choral counting is a safe activity that is both engaging and predictable.  Kids are working in small groups and counting out loud with one another.  Their voices are in unison and their count goes along with the teacher as she records what they say out loud as a group.  Choral counting is inclusive and makes our students feel safe because they are doing it together as one… no one voice is heard over another and the team approach helps our students who may feel insecure, to take a risk and be okay with making a mistake.  This practice is collective and community based, which allows students to feel supported by the other children in the group as well as by the teacher leading the count.  

Choral counting helps our students develop number sense, which is critical for all mathematicians.  It brings purpose to a number by helping our learners understand sequence and place value.  Students make sense of a number rather than just reading that number out loud or explaining the value of a digit within the number, they look at the numbers “worth” in comparison to other numbers.   Choral counting helps our students better understand patterns and develop a strong ability to make predictions and generalizations.  It is a high leverage, engaging activity that empowers our students through a strong learning partnership with both their classroom teacher and the other classmates that they are grouped with.  Want to learn more about choral counting or try it out?  Just ask your teacher or Mrs. Lucidon!  It is LOADS of FUN!!!  

In March we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with Fish and Chips.  Ireland is known for the best Fish and Chips throughout the British Isles. Traditionally fish and chips are fried. We served up a healthy version of this dish with baked Whole Grain Pollock Fish Sticks and thick cut Oven Baked “chips” served with a biscuit, assorted fruits and vegetables and tartar sauce for dipping. 

In April we celebrated National Library Month. Featuring food based on some of our favorite books! The Books and Food We featured were:

• Super Potato By Artur Laperla

  • Various Potatoes from Fries and Mashed to Tots! 

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

  • Pasta from Mac and Cheese to Parmesan Pasta 

• Nachos Nacho's By Sandra Nickel and Oliver Dominguez

  • Nachos  

• Pancake, Pancake! By Eric Carle

  • Breakfast for Lunch Featuring Pancakes! 

• Holes by Louis Sachar

  • "Sploosh" Spiced Peaches

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs By Judi Barret

  • Meatballs!

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We celebrated by serving food with flavors from East Asia. China, Japan, North and South Korea and Mongolia are the countries in East Asia. The food styles of this region are the most well known throughout the world. The flavors and ingredients we tasted at lunch were soy sauce, garlic, ginger and rice vinegar. The rice vinegar is what gives sweet and sour sauce its sour tang. 

In May we also Celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Tacos. Cinco de Mayo, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army's May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Today, Cinco de Mayo is not that important in Mexico. It is not a national holiday in Mexico. They mainly celebrate it in the state of Puebla. While the Taco has evolved with time from meat on a corn tortilla to what we know today they do originate from Mexico.

Hello! It has been almost eight months since starting my new role as your Equity & Inclusion Coordinator. I want to thank everyone in the district for the warm welcome and outpouring of support. I have acquired a great sense of belonging and am proud to call Farmington a second home. I have also been genuinely impressed with the work of equity in the district.

For those I have yet to meet, I would like to give you some insight into what has primed me for this work. I come from a family deeply rooted in a collectivist mindset. So, I carry the experiences of those I love daily and use these perspectives to help those I encounter in this work. My Jamaican immigrant father was a successful, kind, and dedicated teacher who instilled in me a great love for the profession. My mother, who grew up during segregation in the South, is a talented artist and committed service worker who taught me to serve diligently and celebrate my multicultural heritage. I come from a long line of human service workers, and helping people is one of the most enjoyable components of my career.

As a former high school teacher and mom of two, my love for young people fuels me to promote the great work of equity. My life is no stranger to turbulence. Through family tragedy, I have learned the importance of appreciating the moments and people that matter and cherishing every interaction as an opportunity to heal. We are all primed for equity. The experiences we carry in our hearts and minds are excellent catalysts for the sensitivity and tenacity that equity requires. 

Juneteenth 2023
Hill Stead Museum
Saturday, June 24th, 4:30-8pm

Inspired by Juneteenth picnics, please join us for a day of discovery and celebration featuring regional Black artists, organizations, and businesses.  Bring your lawn chairs and picnic dinner on the grounds as you enjoy local choirs, dance troupes, musical performances and more on Hill-Stead’s picturesque grounds. Info here. 

Pride Day
Mohegan Sun, Uncasville
Sunday, June 25th at 1pm

The WNBA team the CT Sun hosts Pride day during the game against the Chicago Sky. Colorful clothing is encouraged, a pride-themed half time show will be performed and the first 2,500 fans get a beach towel. Tickets here. 

International Taste Around the World
Farmington Library, Main Branch
Thursday, July 20th, 6-7pm

Explore different tastes from around the world while you learn about new cultures and cooking techniques through food. Limited space available! Info here. 

Pihcintu Multicultural Choir
Hill Stead Museum
Wednesday, August 30th, 6-8pm

Pihcintu is comprised of the voices of refugee and immigrant girls from 22 countries. Many have fled war, violence, and persecution, but are ensuring their voices are heard through song and in a safe space to make friends, acclimate to their adopted country, and hone their language skills. Tickets here.