Principal Friesen's Letter, Feb. 7th 2019

Dear Sacajawea Families,

I hope you are all staying warm and safe in our current weather! Yesterday, we were all happy to be back at Sacajawea! Thanks to all of the students, staff and families who did an excellent job of keeping our Snow Pick-Up and Drop-Off procedures smooth and safe for all. We are anticipating the possibility of more inclement weather on Friday, but hoping that the storm will not arrive before school is out for the day. In case of any Sacajawea-Specific changes in procedure, I will communicate by email and a recorded phone message as I did this morning. Any changes that are district-wide will be communicated through normal district channels as they have been earlier this week.

This week, we are engaging in Black Lives Matter at School week. Due to the snow days, the week will extend through February 12th. Our Sacajawea Equity Team and various students and teachers have put up posters and displays throughout Sacajawea that will be here during February, which is also Black History Month. These displays are just one part of the learning students are doing at Sacajawea. Classroom work and assemblies will also include learning about Black history. The learning we do during Black History Month is just one way to help us remember that Black History is all of our history, and that the story of our world includes all kinds of people. 

In addition, this week, we are celebrating Lunar New Year. Due to not having an assembly on Monday, we will spend some time at next Monday’s assembly reminding students of this celebration. In the meantime, when your child comes home with a red envelope at some point this week, ask them what they’ve learned about it!

Here's some information about the holiday from our Equity Team:

February 5, 2019, the year 4717 begins! 2019 is the year of the Pig. Lunar New Year festivities begin on the first day of the first lunar month on the Chinese calendar and continue until the 15th of the lunar month, when the moon is full. 

Chinese legend holds that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on New Year's Day and named a year after each of the twelve animals that came. The animals in the Chinese calendar are the dog, pig/boar, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, and rooster. Also, according to legend, people born in each animal's year have some of that animal's personality traits.
 
Each day of the fifteen day celebration has its own traditions, such as visiting in-laws, or staying home to welcome good fortune. Families gather together for meals, especially for a feast on New Year's Eve. At Lunar New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. Another tradition includes giving cash in a red envelope, called a "hongbao," to children and single adults. Lunar New Year ends with the lantern festival, celebrated at night with displays and parades of painted lanterns. 

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

In Partnership,
 
Rachel Friesen
Sacajawea Elementary School