trevordayschool

What You May Have Missed Stella Stella i Eugenia nascimento, Eugenia nascimento, Nursery head Teacher Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. A time to give thanks for my fantastic family, friends, and life. Our tradition is to start cooking the night before, straight through to Thanks- giving afternoon. We all pile in the kitchen and cook our favorite foods while laughing, singing, and having fun. The Thanksgiving Day Parade is always on television. With my family not quite ready for a large gathering (due to COVID), I had to find another way to give back. It seemed like a perfect opportunity when I was offered the chance to be a balloon handler in the same parade that I watched every year and had enjoyed since I was a child! I had no relevant experience or idea of what it would entail, but I was in. It turned out that many of the lessons and blessings I was used to receiving at home with family and friends provided the basis for all I needed to know: 1) 1) Have a servant's heart. 2) 2) Use kind words in a kind voice. 3) 3) Never stop in an intersection; that is where the wind is the strongest. 4) 4) Work with your team; don't try to hold the balloon all by yourself. 5) 5) Keep your eyes on the pilot, who will help you steer clear of obstacles. 6) 6) Pitch in with everyone at clean-up time. 7) 7) Have fun. I was grateful to see so many happy, cheering faces in the crowd. I missed my big family meal tradition, but was glad to be reminded that love is always close by when you keep your heart open. Anna CHAN Rekate, Anna CHAN Rekate, Grades 6-8 English Teacher When I was a child, watching the Macy's parade on Central Park West was an annual family tradition, so the opportunity to be in the parade was super exciting to me. My daughter, Emma, on the other hand, grew up overseas and didn't even know what the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was. Spending the morning marching in the parade with her was a unique New York experience that we will cherish forever. We mocked the shapeless, bright yellow costumes we had to wear and endured additional teasing from friends and family. We marveled at the throngs of happy people lining the streets of Manhattan to ring in the holiday season. We chuckled about the parade-goers of all ages who chanted the SpongeBob song with us. We were fascinated by the logistics of the launching and the deflation of this giant balloon. This was an experience that Emma and I will never forget! Stella S. '22 Stella S. '22 I had the amazing opportunity to participate in the Macy's parade during Thanksgiving break this year. I am a Trevor senior and a member of the Young People's Chorus of New York City. Along with some of my closest friends, I sang with the band Foreigner and had an incredible time seeing thousands of New Yorkers on the streets waving and smiling. New York hasn't been able to enjoy and celebrate this holiday for over a year, and the parade was a perfect place for that to happen. In terms of COVID protocols, I hope that the world will continue to open and that the city can sponsor many more awe-inspiring events like this. n

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