Superintendent's Weekly Update
March 18th, 2022
Dear Weymouth Public Schools' Community,
From field days filled with activities, to Grade 5 Promotion Ceremonies, there was a lot of applause, laughter, and excitement in and outside our schools this week.
Rather than tell you about all the fun, this week we'll simply show you. Scroll down for a few pictures from these important milestones and all the excitement that took place throughout the district. The celebrations will continue in our final days as we wind down the school year.
As a reminder, there is no school on Monday, June 19th in observance of the federal holiday Juneteenth. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and read a federal order abolishing the institution of slavery in the state. Below please find a few facts on this important holiday to reflect on this weekend.
Enjoy the long weekend, and we'll see you back in school on Tuesday!
Best Regards,
Robert Wargo
Superintendent
What is Juneteenth?
- Juneteenth is the newest federal holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865: the day that Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation. That day came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Even after Lincoln declared all enslaved people free on paper, that hadn't necessarily been the case in practice.
- The day's name is a blending of the words June and nineteenth.
- Despite being celebrated since 1865, it was only until 1980 that Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a state holiday.
- Last year, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making it the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was added in 1983.
