@EagleRockElem & all @LASchools will be closed 11/23 thru 11/27 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday

Just a reminder that Eagle Rock Elementary will be closed from Monday, November 23 through Friday, November 27 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Be safe and enjoy your time with family and friends and we'll see you back on campus when classes resume Monday, November 30.

Thanksgiving Day has been an annual holiday in the United States since 1863. Not everyone sees Thanksgiving Day as a cause for celebration. Each year since 1970, a group of Native Americans and their supporters have staged a protest for a National Day of Mourning at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts on Thanksgiving Day. American Indian Heritage Day is also observed at this time of the year.

There are claims that the first Thanksgiving Day was held in the city of El Paso, Texas in 1598. Another early event was held in 1619 in the Virginia Colony. Many people trace the origins of the modern Thanksgiving Day to the harvest celebration that the Pilgrims held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. However, their first true thanksgiving was in 1623, when they gave thanks for rain that ended a drought. These early thanksgivings took the form of a special church service, rather than a feast.

In the second half of the 1600s, thanksgivings after the harvest became more common and started to become annual events. However, it was celebrated on different days in different communities and in some places there were more than one thanksgiving each year. George Washington, the first president of the United States, proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day in 1789.
Source: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/thanksgiving-day

• Help Prepare Your Family's Thanksgiving Dinner (for Kids)
  
• Get Your Kids Involved with Thanksgiving Cooking (for Parents)
  
• Thanksgiving Facts (2014) - Census
  
• Thanksgiving in North America: From Local Harvests to National Holiday
  
• Thanksgiving Timeline
  
• Congress Establishes Thanksgiving
  
• History of the Presidential Turkey Pardon
  
• Lesson Plan: Thanksgiving - Library of Congress
  

11/19/1863 former US President Abraham Lincoln delivered Gettysburg Address | #ThisDayInHistory

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered a short speech at the close of ceremonies dedicating the battlefield cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Honoring a request to offer a few remarks, Lincoln memorialized the Union dead and highlighted the redemptive power of their sacrifice. Placing the common soldier at the center of the struggle for equality, Lincoln reminded his listeners of the higher purpose for which blood was shed.

• Gettysburg Address - Library of Congress
  
• Gettysburg Address (Primary Documents) - Library of Congress
  
• Gettysburg Address (High Res PDF and Transcript) - OurDocuments.gov
  
• Pamphlet of President Abraham Lincoln Speeches
  
• Today in History
  
• Gettysburg National Military Park
  
• Map: Gettysburg and Vicinity, Showing the Lines of Battle, July 1863
  

Please join us for our 2nd General Mtg Wed, 11/18 (6:30p) in the MPR | refreshments & childcare provided.

Come to our next General Meeting on Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 6:30p in the Multipurpose Room (MPR). Get an update on the latest happenings on campus and in the community. Refreshments and childcare provided.

For those in attendance, remember to pick up your "Kids Go Free" PTA discount coupons to Legoland. Bring a friend and we look forward to seeing you! 

Please join us next Wed 11/18 (6:30p) in Multipurpose Room (MPR) | Refreshments/Childcare provided

Our next 2nd General Meeting of the 2015-2016 school year will take place next Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at 6:30p in the Multipurpose Room (MPR). Refreshments and childcare will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you there.  Bring a friend!

Reminder! Autumn @Scholastic BOGO (Buy 1 Get 1 Free) Book Fair is next week 11/16-20 (8:30a-2:30p Rm 3)

Take advantage of our great offerings during our annual Buy One Get One (BOGO) free event next week from Monday, November 16 through Friday November 16 from 8:30-2:30p in Room 3. Books make great gifts this and every Holiday Season!

#meteor shower to peak 11/18 (midnight-dawn) Follow these links to learn more #Astronomy @earthskyscience

The famous Leonid meteor shower peaks between midnight and dawn on November 18. The morning before might be good, too. Here’s all you need to know to watch.

• Everything you need to know: Leonid meteor shower  (Earthsky.org)
  
• What is a Meteor Shower? (NASA)

November’s wonderful Leonid meteor shower happens every year at this time, as our world moves through space. It occurs when Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which, like all comets, litters its orbit with bits of debris. It’s when this comet debris enters Earth’s atmosphere, and vaporizes, that we see the Leonid meteor shower.

In 2015, the peak night of the shower is expected from midnight to dawn on Wednesday morning (November 18). Although this shower is known for its periodic storms, no Leonid storm is expected this year. The waxing moon will set in the evening hours, so moonlight will not obstruct this year’s Leonid shower. Also, it’ll be fun to look for the planet Jupiter, which shines in front of the constellation Leo this year. Watch for the Leonids on the mornings of November 17 and 18! The mornings before and after the peak might feature meteors as well, as we pass through the Leonid meteor stream in space.

Celebrate benefits of International Education & Exchange (11/16-11/20) @ECAatState @StateDept

International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States. Click the banner for more.

(11/16-11/20) Natl Ed Assoc 94th Annual celebration of Public Education #aew2015 @NEAToday

The National Education Association's 94th annual American Education Week—November 16-20, 2015—presents all Americans with an opportunity to celebrate public education and honor individuals who are making a difference in ensuring every child receives a quality education. NEA's AEW tagline, "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility," reflects NEA's vision of calling upon all Americans to do their part in making public schools great for every child so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.

• Family and Community Engagement 
  
• Transforming Teaching and Learning 
  
• Materials: Ads, Web Banners, Posters, Hand Out Cards
  

Do your part 11/15 & every day & make the pledge #IWillRecycle #KeepAmericaBeautiful @kabtweet

America Recycles Day, a program of Keep America Beautiful, is a nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States and observed on November 15. 

Aquarium of the Pacific | this Friday 11/13 (6:00p-9:00p) & most Fridays #FREE @AquariumPacific

The public is invited to get up close with the ocean’s ultimate predators at the Aquarium of the Pacific for FREE during Shark Lagoon Nights. Guests will have the opportunity to touch bamboo sharks and see large sharks such as sandtigers as well as rays in the Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon.

Please note that while it is almost every Friday, some Fridays are excluded. Please check the dates for availability. Shark Lagoon Nights are weather-dependent and can be canceled due to inclement weather. Only Shark Lagoon is open and available for guests during these free events. Please call for more information.

Aquarium of the Pacific
100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 590-3100