Hatboro-Horsham School District
Inspiring ALL Learners to Reach their Full Potential
Dear Hatters,
As a school district, we truly believe that “ALL ARE WELCOME HERE” and we are constantly looking for opportunities to be more inclusive, build awareness, and develop our cultural competence to be more equitable in our way of supporting our students, staff, and community. This monthly inclusive newsletter will serve as a resource for our staff and families to learn more about the diverse cultures and members of our community.
- October 2nd (sunset) to October 4th (sunset) - Rosh Hashanah - Jewish New Year, and it begins a month of important Jewish Holy days. It is celebrated beginning at sunset on October 2nd through sunset October 4th. "Shana tovah!"
- October 6th - Shemini Atzeret - It directly follows the Jewish festival of Sukkot which is celebrated for seven days, and thus Shemini Atzeret is literally the eighth day.
- October 9th - Indigenous Peoples' Day - a holiday that celebrates and honors indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures.
- October 9th - Columbus Day - a holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492.
- October 10th - World Mental Health Day - bring awareness to the multiple aspects of mental health issues and provide education and support of mental health.
- October 11th (sunset) to nightfall on October 12th - Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement - Begins at sundown on October 11th and ends at nightfall on October 12, 2024. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. "Gmar chatima tova" (A good final sealing).
- October 12th - Dussehra - a major Hindu festival every year at the end of Navaratri celebrating the victory of good over evil.
- October 12th - Navratri - an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess.
- October 16th - Sukkot - Begins at sunset on October 16, 2024 and ends at nightfall on October 23, 2024. Sukkot is a week-long Jewish holiday that celebrates the fall harvest. It is one of the most joyful festivals in Judaism, meant to bring families, friends and communities together. "Chag Sameach!"
- October 17th through November 15th - Kathina - a Buddhist festival which comes at the end of Vassa, is a time of giving, for the laity to express gratitude to bhikkhus (Buddhist monks).
- October (evening) 24th-25th - Simchat Torah - a Jewish holiday that celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle.
- October 31st - Halloween - Halloween is thought to have influences from Christian beliefs and practices being the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (All Saints' Day) on November 1st and All Souls' Day on November 2nd. Today's Halloween celebrations include costume parties, trick-or-treating, jack-o-lanterns and bonfires.
To our Hatters families, we hope that you have a memorable holiday season with your family and loved ones.
Previous Month's Newsletters:
Fostering a Restorative Culture and Community:
- Acknowledge the different cultures within our school communities by affirming their presence.
- Provide access to visuals, resources, and recognizing their culture and traditions. All of our students should see themselves in our schools.
- Strive to provide high support to match our high expectations for learning and peer relationships.
- Be mindful of assigning homework, major projects, and tests during holidays.
Ways to Promote Growth:
- Acknowledge the different cultures within our school communities by affirming their presence.
- Ask questions to learn more about each other's cultures.
- Challenge yourself to grow your own cultural competence.
- Understand that some religious holidays may require fasting, so continue to be understanding and supportive of each other.
We are stronger together!
Community Connection:
As a community, we believe that one of our greatest assets are the many traditions and cultures that are present in our community. We have a commitment to engage our families, celebrate traditions, and build a culture where everyone feels they belong, and spend time learning about one another. One of the best ways to do this and bring people together is through food.
To help celebrate and learn more about the many traditions and cultures in our community, we are inviting our families to share family recipes. Once your recipe is shared, we will then add it to our Hatter Family Recipe Book that will be accessible online for you to consider trying at home with your family.
To add your recipe to our Hatter Family Recipe Book, please click on the link below! If recipes are allergy free and feasible to make, we will partner with our food services department to provide samples for our students to try in our schools to highlight our community and families.
