Hi Everyone,
With Thanksgiving on Thursday, we have a shortened week with an early release on Wednesday (dismissal is at 11:10 am). On that day, we will have our annual Thanksgiving Assembly. This assembly traditionally includes a few speeches by students, and performances by the school band, string ensemble and chorus. When I prepared for this assembly in my first year as Principal (eight years ago), it brought back all sorts of memories of my own Thanksgiving experiences as a middle school-aged student and I shared some of those memories in that year’s pre-Thanksgiving edition of Grey Matters. I have since re-posted it every year because Thanksgiving is, after all, a time for creating and maintaining certain traditions. Given the continuing and ever-growing diversity that has evolved in our two communities, I hope some of what I share resonates with many of you in one way or another. 
When I was younger, Thanksgiving had very little to do with extended family, as most of our relatives were a few thousand miles away. For my sister and I, Thanksgiving dinner was an event celebrated with just our parents, so it often felt like a lot of work for just another Thursday night dinner. Having grown up in Taiwan, my parents didn’t experience Thanksgiving until they moved here for graduate school, and along with preparing the “traditional” turkey and sides, my parents wanted to include items more familiar to them [side note: check out this 2018 article in the Washington Post that addresses five myths about preparing turkey on Thanksgiving, and this New York Times article from last week about the recent trend of Chinese barbecue-style turkeys that are keeping shops and restaurants in Chinatowns across the country busy in November]. As a result, we had many a Thanksgiving where, next to the mashed potatoes, sat a plate full of pork dumplings; and next to the canned cranberry sauce, there was a bowl filled with a rice dish prepared by my dad. When I was thirteen, having soy sauce and turkey gravy on the same table really bothered me, mostly because it was different from what I understood and assumed to be the proper and traditional way to celebrate this holiday. For me, it meant we weren’t fitting in and continued to make us different at a time when I wanted to be anything but. This narrow obsession of mine also probably contributed to an inexplicable lifelong craving for Stouffer’s Stove Top stuffing and a preference for canned cranberry sauce. Once that adolescent desire to fit in faded, I began to appreciate those dinners through a different lens - one that focused on the reality that the food my parents made was really good, that we had much for which to be thankful, and that every family has different twists on how celebrate Thanksgiving- and it’s those unique variations that are at the heart of any tradition. This lifelong obsession with stuffing and the idea that there isn’t a single way to properly celebrate Thanksgiving is why this 2017 article, “Thanksgiving Stuffing (or dressing) is the dish that best reflects America’s diversity”, caught my eye.
As I got older, I also came to discover that our approach to Thanksgiving was definitely more manageable than some of the other family “traditions” I have now heard about from friends and colleagues, and have myself witnessed when spending time with my wife’s extended family (most of whom live near or around Rt. 128). Little did I realize how fortunate the Shen family was to not have to wrestle with deciding which relative slept in what room during the holiday, who was in charge of making sure the loose cannon uncle didn’t upset guests with his boorish political commentary, and preparing for however much criticism advice one was to receive from his or her in-laws for the entire day. Whatever twist you and your family have planned for your Thanksgiving Break, and whatever you plan to eat, I hope you all find some opportunity for a little rest and some good company.
Here are some updates and reminder for this week, and to keep in mind when we return from the Thanksgiving Break:
The Fall Trimester closed last Wednesday, November 20th. Report cards will likely be sent to families around December 6 -more on that when we return from the Thanksgiving Break.
7 Red’s annual Coat Drive continues, so if you have any coats (for adults or children), they can be dropped off in our Lobby.
The tryout schedule for Winter Sports (basketball and cheerleading) has been finalized and is available for viewing by clicking here. Students who plan to try out for our winter sports need to make sure their and updated physical form has been submitted and reviewed by our school nurse.
Five performances of James and the Giant Peach are scheduled for the week of December 3rd, specifically on Thursday, December 5 (7pm), Friday, December 6 (7pm), Saturday, December 7 (2pm and 7pm), and Sunday, December 8 (2pm). Tickets are $15 and available in the Junior High Main Office. ABSAF holders are entitled to two free tickets and must pick up their tickets from the Main Office. This is always a great family-friendly event and we hope to see many A-B families there.
We hope all of you are able to use this upcoming holiday period as an opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, be it in the form of leisure and social activities, or simply quality time with each other. We look forward to seeing everyone back next Monday.
Have a great week and a great Thanksgiving, everyone.
Cheers,
