Glen Grove Community Project

May 2025: Summer Celebrations

Bahagi

I wanted to close out this year’s newsletters by sharing one more Tagalog word. While I love "bayanihan" and "ka" for all their visual symbolism, my favorite word in Tagalog is a lot hard to picture: Bahagi.

Bahagi means "part" or "portion," used in contexts like "bahagi ng katawan" (part of the body) or "bahagi ng buhay" (part of life). When you trace it back to its Malay-Polynesian roots in its linguistic history, it gives the idea of and has word relatives meaning to "divide" or "separate." If you look at the word at face-value, it gives you the idea of being isolated or single; when it is used in context, however, it actually is more about being together and sharing in the collective.

The word "ibahagi" means to share or distribute parts of an item or responsibility while "bumahagi" means to participate in something. "Pabahaginin," another related word, is defined as allowing someone in to partake in or share in an experience.

More so, the Proto-Malayic root (meaning the oldest known form of this word in existence) also imparted the idea of inheritance... of passing on something to the next generation. When we pass on reasons to remember, gifts of the present, and promises of a future led by the wisdom of those before us... we are connected. We are whole.

What we hope to share in all that we do, in all that we celebrate, and all that we value is a piece of ourselves - our identity as individuals and our identities as members of our communities. No person is the same because we all have pieces of others that shape who we are and in turn, we shape those whose lives we touch.

We are all mosaics - we are parts of the whole and whole parts on our own. Together, we can make a beautiful picture.

On behalf of the committed Glen Grove Community Project team, thank you for being part of our lives this year - bahagi kayo nang bayan namin dito sa Glen Grove.

You are a part of our Glen Grove Community.

Wishing you joy in all that you celebrate,

Ma. Aurora Joaquin

GGCP Coordinator

GGCP Feedback Form

Summer Traditions Gators Celebrate

Upcoming Holidays & Important Events

Jewish American Heritage Month - May 1 to 31

A month celebrating the history, color, and experiences of Jewish Americans.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Heritage Month - May 1 to 31

A month dedicated to learning about and celebrating the accomplishments of Asian American and Pacific Islanders. This year's theme is "Advancing Leaders Through Innovation"

May 15 - Vyshyvanka Day

Celebrated every third Thursday of May by Ukrainian communities, it is a day dedicated to the preservation of the vyshyvanka, traditional embroidered Ukrainian clothing.

May 26 - Memorial Day

Celebrated on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day is a federal holiday commemorating soldiers who have passed away in war and bravely fought for America.

May 31 - Dragon Boat Festival

A holiday that has existed for over 2,000 years, the Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the beloved historic prime minister, Qu Yua. It is celebrated with dragon boat races and sticky rice dumplings.

Pride Month - June 1 to 30

Otherwise known as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, this month is dedicated to celebrating members of the LGBTQIA+ community and education on the history and milestones the LGBTQIA+ has made towards visibility and equality for all.

June 6 to 7 - Eid al Adha

Eid al-Adha is a religious festival commemorating the prophet Ibrahim’s faithfulness towards Allah (God). This holiday is celebrated with sharing of meat, partaking in prayers, dressing in their finest clothing, and spending time with family.

June 19 - Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the historic emancipation of enslaved African Americans and celebration of Black culture.

June 20 to 21 - Midsommar

Swedish Midsummer/Midsommar is a celebration of the beginning of summer as well as growth, light, and magic.

Disability Pride Month - July 1 to 31

A month celebrating the history and experiences of people with disabilities and their communities.

July 4 - American Independence Day

The Fourth of July, American Independence Day, is a federal holiday celebrating the day the American colonies declared independence from Great Britain. It is celebrated with cookouts, family gatherings, games, parades, and firework displays.

July 7 - Tanabata

The Japanese Festival of Tanabata celebrates the renowned love story of the celestial weaver and the cow-herd. The festival is filled with activities, decorations, and wishes. Scroll down to learn more about the celebration of Tanabata.

If you have a celebration you want to share with us, please let us know!

Community Blurb #10: Year-in-Review

The GGCP has hosted three amazing events and have collaborated with many community partners. Watch the videos below to see all that we have done this year. We are excited to celebrate with you once more next year!

Did you have fun with us this year? Have ideas for us? Fill out this survey!

Family Story Night: Tanabata, the Star Festival

Summertime is a time known for festivals all around the world. One of the most iconic festivals in Japan is Tanabata, the Star Festival (also celebrated as the Qixi Festival in China), which centers around a famous love story between a weaver and a cowherd. The beautiful Orihime was known to weave beautiful clothes in the celestial rivers of the Milky Way. Seeing his daughter lonely as she fulfilled her duties, Tentei, the Sky King, arranged for her to meet a cowherd named Hikoboshi. Hikoboshi lived on the other side of the Milky Way, so he travelled to meet Orihime and they fell in love at first sight. However, true love wasn't enough to keep them together. Find out what happens to these literal star-crossed lovers by reading the story of Tanabata.

Read These Books About Tanabata

Guiding Question of the Month

What celebrations make the summertime memorable?

Books on Holidays & Traditions on Destiny Discover

Mrs. Funke, the Glen Grove LRC Director, compiled a collection of books related to the various celebrations featured in the Community Project

Glen Grove Community Project Site

Our site has been updated. Come check it out!

Read the April 2025 Newsletter

Land Acknowledgement

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.

Resources About Native American & Indigenous People

Have questions? Contact us!

Committee Members

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

May 2025: Summer Celebrations May 2025: Summer Celebrations

Bahagi Bahagi

Summer Traditions Gators Celebrate Summer Traditions Gators Celebrate

Upcoming Holidays & Important Events Upcoming Holidays & Important Events

If you have a celebration you want to share with us, please let us know! If you have a celebration you want to share with us, please let us know!

Community Blurb #10: Year-in-Review Community Blurb #10: Year-in-Review

Family Story Night: Tanabata, the Star Festival Family Story Night: Tanabata, the Star Festival

Read These Books About Tanabata Read These Books About Tanabata

Guiding Question of the Month Guiding Question of the Month

Land Acknowledgement Land Acknowledgement

Have questions? Contact us! Have questions? Contact us!