Glen Grove Community Project

Last year, my sister and I took our grandmother out to lunch on her birthday. She's currently 87 years young (turning 88 in July) and loves to dress up for lunch outings with family. As we chatted and reminisced over French onion soup, I asked her what she wanted to do for her next birthday. A fancy party? A brunch with family? A trip on a boat?

"I want to go to New York. I've been telling your mother that for a while. I want to reminisce about my life there with your grandfather."

My grandfather and grandmother met in the Philippines, but their relationship started in New York City in the early 1960s. They were both in an exchange program for doctors and nurses from the Philippines. My grandfather was finishing up his residency as a pediatric physician, and my grandmother was a nurse who had experience training other nurses. She told me they'd hold hands on dates around Manhattan because the winds were much stronger and colder there than in the Philippines. They married at the famous St. Patrick's Cathedral and lived in the Bronx, where they raised my two aunts for a few years before returning to the Philippines.

"Okay, Grandma. Let's make a plan with the others. Let's celebrate in a year."

A few weeks ago, my aunt, cousins, mother, and I booked our flights and hotels to New York and timed it so we'd be there for my grandma and grandpa's wedding anniversary. We'll walk around Times Square and the shoreline near the Statue of Liberty just like they did in the 1960s and take pictures in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral, just like my grandmother did all those years ago. My cousin and I plan to wear blue, just like her bridesmaids did, and we'll all get a soft pretzel from a local food stand (because she remembered it being the best pretzel she ever had).

I'm glad we get to celebrate my grandfather and grandmother, who started our family and even made it possible for most of us to come to the United States. Even though it has taken us a few years to get to this celebration, it's never too late to celebrate people who are important to you. My Grandma Elenita does miss my Grandpa Joe, but whenever we celebrate with occasions like this, she gets to hold onto those memories of him and share them with us so that we can continue remembering how important he was to our family.

• List of Children's Books about Autism
• Today Show's Segment on "What to Know About Being a Good Friend to Someone with Autism According to Sesame Street
• Amazing Things Happen (video on Autism)

• The New York Public Library List of AAPI Children's Books
• The National Education Association's resources for teaching AAPI Heritage
• PBS Video on AAPI Month

This month, our front display (nook area) has art pieces from the Instructional Life Skills (ILS) program. This display goes hand-in-hand with our celebration of April as Autism Acceptance Month. See the pictures below and learn about Autism and Acceptance in the LRC book collection lists.

There are many stories around the world of humans with superhuman strength, but none are as tied to the geography of American Appalachia as John Henry. John Henry was said to have been born with a hammer in his hand, and was so strong and fast, he was able to beat a machine to build a tunnel through a mountain. Learn more about the amazing, fantastical folktale of John Henry through the video and books below. Click the picture of John Henry to listen to the songs from Disney's version of John Henry's tale.

How do you celebrate important people in your life?

The GGCP acknowledges the land upon which Glen Grove School stands on and in being part of this community, we want to share resources to further our students' and families' knowledge of the land and respect communities of past and present.

Special thank you to Dr. Ellison for also donating on behalf of the GGCP as part of the land acknowledgement at the most recent Remembering Loved Ones Event on October 25, 2024.

• Katherine Ellison, Glen Grove Principal
• Aurora Joaquin, Glen Grove Speech-Language Pathologist
• Katelyn Kelleher, Glen Grove Psychologist
• Hedy Helfand, Glen Grove English Language Learning Teacher
• Lisa Funke, Glen Grove Learning Resource Center Director
• Nicole Bright, Glen Grove 4th Grade ClassroomTeacher
• Marie Chang-Pisano, Glen Grove Reading Intervention Associate
• Sylvia Gorski Duarte, District Title III Family Resource Teacher
• Lindsey Lurie, District Multilingual Instructional Coach

Email: GGCommunityProject@gmail.com

Instagram: @ggcommunityproject