T I G E R T R A C K S
NOVEMBER 2014
FROM THE DESK OF SUPT. BOBBY WAITMAN
Most elementary age children learn that the history of Thanksgiving began when Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated together a successful harvest in the fall of 1621. The Pilgrims and their guests, some 90 Native Americans from the Wampanoag Tribe took part in a three day feast enjoying the bounty of their harvest eating wild game, a probable mixture of other berries and fruit along with boiled pumpkin.
Thanksgiving was sporadically celebrated at various times and places as settlers would give thanks after times of harvest and overcoming great obstacles in the new world. In 1777 over a century and half after the first Thanksgiving all 13 Colonies celebrated a national day of Thanksgiving. Then in 1789 President George Washington declared a national day of Thanksgiving be observed on Thursday, November 26, 1789, but even still Thanksgiving was not observed on an annual basis. It wasn’t until Sarah Josepha Hale, a woman who had spent 40 years advocating having Thanksgiving recognized as an annual national holiday was finally approached by President Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln was searching for a means to try to pull together a war torn nation together during the Civil War and discussed Hale’s vision for the recognition of Thanksgiving as a National Holiday. On October 3rd, 1863 President Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation which declared the last Thursday in November be a national day of“thanksgiving and praise”. Ms. Hale’s 40 year quest based on a vision of setting aside one day of the year, each year to purposefully redirect the focus of an entire nation from the struggles and hardship of war and suffering to a spirit of hope and thanksgiving would finally be realized.
Ms. Hale, known today as the Mother of Thanksgiving is a wonderful example of the potential impact each person has when they embrace a vision with action compelling them to purpose with perseverance. Ms. Hale’s purpose was to instill hope into the lives of the American people in what can be described as the darkest days in our nation’s history.
On behalf of Tuttle Schools, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our parents, community partners, and staff members for your service to the students of the District. We have much to be thankful for and do not lack for purpose as we continue to work toward a common goal of providing our students the best in education, character, and community.
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ELEMENTARY BOOK FAIR
NOVEMBER 3-7
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THANKSGIVING BREAK
NOVEMBER 26-27-28
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
HEARING SCREENING
KINDERGARTEN AND 1ST GRADE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1ST
T I G E R T R A C K S
NOVEMBER 2014
T I G E R T R A C K S
NOVEMBER 2014