December 2nd: Special Education Day
Special Education Day is celebrated on December 2nd to commemorate the signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) into law on this day in 1975. IDEA granted access to children with special needs to free and quality public education. The act has been revised several times but it continues to be the foundation for special education in the U.S.
This is a day to celebrate the accomplishments of our Special Education students, their families, our teachers and administrators, and also to recognize opportunities for continued improvement in the future.
A Historical Timeline
1972: U.S. District Court lawsuit Mills vs. the Board of Education. During this case, the denial of publicly funded education for special children, including those with learning disabilities, was ruled unlawful.
November 29, 1975: Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 was approved and passed by President Gerald Ford. The Act was the country’s first official law addressing special education.
1986: The law was revised to include more support for parents and educators and to advance education plans.
1990: The name of this landmark act changed to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.
Over the years, clauses have been added to address issues and ensure that the standards of education for special children are on par with the overall educational system. IDEA not only established the rights of children with learning disabilities, but laid the groundwork for teachers and families to work together, and ensure there are services and resources available for support. Special Education Day started in 2005 — on IDEA’s 30th anniversary.
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December 5th - 11th: National Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek)
CSEdWeek is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field. The theme for this year's CSEdWeek highlights a decade of progress in making computer science education more equitable and accessible for all learners, as well as to underscore the critical role of computing in all careers
More Information: https://www.csedweek.org/
December 18th - 26th: Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, falls on different days each calendar year, though always in late November to mid-December because Jewish holidays are determined by moon cycles. Hanukkah is an eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly candle lighting, special prayers and fried foods. The candles are held in menorahs and convey warmth, comfort, and the remembrance of a miracle where oil that should have lasted one day, and then burned for eight. Since the Chanukah miracle involved oil, it is customary to eat foods fried in oil. Two favorites are the potato latke (pancake), garnished with applesauce or sour cream, and the jelly-filled sufganya (doughnut). There are also gifts, songs, games, and family gatherings. To wish someone well on Hanukkah, you can say, "Happy Hanukkah".
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December 21st: First Day of Winter
Winter is coming. (Any GOT fans out there?) The winter solstice, or astronomical first day of winter for us, happens on Wednesday, December 21, 2022!
What happens at the winter solstice?
Winter is a season of cold, dark days, though a silver lining for many children, the potential for lots of snow to sled on! The winter solstice marks the exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun. It usually happens on December 21 or 22, at the exact same second around the world.
Because less sunlight reaches Earth, the winter solstice is also the day of the year with the least amount of daytime, known as the shortest day of the year. But the good news is that every day after the winter solstice will be a little longer, until we reach the day with the most hours of daylight (that's the summer solstice and we can circle back to that in June!)
In short, although the winter solstice gives way to the start of winter, it also means the return of more sunlight. It only gets brighter from here!
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December 25th: Christmas
Celebrated on December 25th, Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. It is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe was the son of God. For most people, it takes place every year on 25 December – the day that the Roman Catholic Church chose to mark Jesus’ birthday. Some Greek Orthodox Christians and those in other countries, like Russia, the Ukraine and Romania, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th.
Many families have unique traditions for Christmas eve, the day before Christmas, and Christmas day. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, hanging stockings, singing Christmas songs, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25th, Christmas Day, has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870. Looking to wish someone well this Christmas? A simple "Merry Christmas" will do!
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas
December 26th - January 1st: Kwanzaa (or Kwanza)
Kwanzaa is an African-American celebration of life that takes place annually between December 26th to January 1st. Introduced in 1966, the week-long festival started as a ritual to welcome the first harvests to the home and is observed with candle lighting ceremonies, feasts, and reflections on past struggles and future hopes. This festival was created for African-Americans as a response to the commercialism of Christmas, but also as an opportunity for Black Americans to reaffirm their roots and strengthen their bonds in a time of racial unrest. A secular holiday, some would say Kwanzaa has similarities with Thanksgiving in the United States or the Yam Festival in Ghana and Nigeria. The word "kwanza" is a KiSwahili (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania) word meaning "first."
Five common sets of values are central to the activities of the week: ingathering, reverence, commemoration, recommitment, and celebration.
The seven principles (nguzo saba) of Kwanzaa utilize Kiswahili words and are signified by seven candles: unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective work and responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani)
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