Glen Grove Community Project

"Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan."

("He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.")

These are famous words by Dr. Jose Rizal, who (among his many jobs as an ophthalmologist, revolutionary, scientist, journalist, and polyglot of 22 languages) was a famous novelist in the Philippines. I take his words to heart not just because we're both from the Philippines nor is it because this is my senior yearbook quote, but also because of how I choose to reset my life every year during the summer months.

While I play catch up with many things educators tend to do over the summer- doctor's appointments, Netflix, sleeping, and spending time with family and friends, I always somehow find myself on multiple train rides heading over to the city to find some place new to explore.

You'd think after twenty-five years of living in the area that I'd get tired of playing tourist, but I honestly have some of my favorite summer memories on the train while heading off to my next adventure with a friend or with my sister.

This summer, I intentionally sought to explore certain neighborhoods in the city to learn more about their communities. Chicago has some of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the country - each with its own vibe and culture. From the bustling the night market events on Argyle to the beautiful murals of Pilsen to the rich architecture and history of the Ukrainian Village - people from various corners of the world have come together to make their homes in Chicago. The city is truly a patchwork of stories and of shared hopes of creating homes and building communities to share their love of their cultures.

I learned a lot from my travels this summer - I commiserated with small business owners about the struggles of selling your own handiwork; tasted some really great pierogi and bubble tea; appreciated art galleries, exhibits, and murals; and had conversations with local nonprofits about aspirations to preserve neighborhoods for future generations. No matter which destination or station I went to, I returned with better perspective, ideas, and connections that I hope to bring back to the Glen Grove Community Project this year.

As we start this new school year, may we have one hand reaching out to our future and one hand holding onto what we have learned from those around us. In taking time to know our own towns and our own neighbors, we gain a better understanding and appreciation of where we come from and how we can move forward together.

Check out these resources:

• Glen Grove's Collection of Hispanic/Latinx Books
• Library of Congress' Hispanic Heritage Month site
• Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Activities by We Are Teachers
• Google Arts & Culture has a whole site dedicated to contemporary Latinx artists

Check out these smiling faces during the Glen Grove Meet & Greet!

Onam, like many festivals that take place in the summer, has a boat racing tradition. TheVallamkali, snake boat race, a tradition that demonstrates teamwork and strength of the community, is symbolic of the spirit of Onam. The boats are often decorated ornately and can hold up to 100 men consisting of oarsmen and singers. The Kerala area of India has a variety of annual boat races, one of the most famous being the The Nehru Trophy Boat Race.

Follow the video to make a paper boat and learn more about Onam!

What is something new that you learned about your hometown?

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
• 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