As part of the Carmine Guica Young Historians (CGYH) program, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) provides teachers, students, families and the community with information on town, state and national history for the month ahead.
GENERAL INFORMATION
• If you have questions, want to arrange for a program or need more information, call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com
• To learn more about the various programs that CHS offers for students and community, as well as opportunities close to Cavendish, go to the Resource Page.
• The CHS Cares Closet, located next to the steps of the Museum is free, open 24/7, and offers a wide array of things to do, read etc. for both children and adults.
TALKING ABOUT THE WAR IN THE UKRAINE: We’ve heard from three teachers that they found the Podcast “Why is Russia Invading Ukraine?” very helpful for their students. This podcast is a little over 24 minutes and was created by VT Public Radio’s Jane Lindholm. Lots of good resources, plus a learning guide. It’s as helpful for adults as it is for students.
A special thank you to the 3-6 graders who have made sunflower seed packets, which were recently sold at a Ukrainian fundraising dinner that made over $12,000.
Also note that CTES is hosting a penny drive. They are collecting coins, (and bills if you like) to go to Save the Children to help Ukrainian children. Collection jars are in each classroom, the office and the library. Good time to empty your loose change coin jar.
• May 16 (Monday): Cemetery cleaning and laying flags on Veterans’ graves (6th grade)
• June 3 (Friday): Cleaning gravestones (6th grade)
• June 10 (Friday): St. Gaudens’ and Precision Valley Museum (4-6th grades)
• July 30 (Saturday): Annual Town Wide Tag Sale from 9-2. If a class wants to do a fundraiser, this is a good day to do it. Email or call numbers above for more information.
• Shaker Village Enfield, NH 3rd grade. Date to be determined
• Preserve and Serve: We’re purchasing new supplies, thanks to a grant from the Cavendish Community Fund. The various spring cleaning projects will begin in late April, the beginning of May depending on weather.
Other trips being planned-Site visit to Tings’ farm (Farm to Table) 4th grade and archeological dig in middens (former farm dump site) of Tings’ farm (5th grade)
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: With warmer weather on the way, it’s a great time to take part in the National Park Service educational programs that are free. Cavendish is close to two National Parks-St. Gaudens in Plainfield, NH and Marsh, Billings, Rockefeller in Woodstock.
• JuniorRanger Program: Designed for 6-12 they have a series of booklets that are excellent and can be downloaded for free.
• 4th graders have free admittance to the parks
• Educational programs at the parks are free for classes
• St Gauden’s programs for kids
• Marsh Billings Rockefeller for kids
- Educational Professionals Partnership
Arbor Day
(April 29th):
Vermont celebrates this date the first Friday in May. That will be May 6th
this year. Learn more about how VT
celebrates and how you can participate.
Deaf History Month. Note that Deaf History month extends from March 13 to April 15th. This is a great time to learn basic American Sign Language (ASL). Gallaudet offers a free education program called ASL Connect that includes videos and much more.
Earth Day (April 22): Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. This year’s theme is “Invest in our Planet.”
CHS is happy to work with students for a “green up” activity in Cavendish the week of April 22 . Please let us know in advance if you are interest so we can be sure to have sufficient bags for the project. While Green Up Day is May 7, there is so much debris the town will once again be providing green up bags when they become available.
EPA’s Earth
Day includes
projects and ideas
Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources Offers ideas and suggestions starting with Monday April 22 and running until Friday April 26.
HISTORICAL
DATES FOR APRIL: April
is one of the more significant months in American history. Both the Civil War
and the Revolutionary War began in this month, with the Civil War also ending
in April. Both President Lincoln and Martin Luther King were assassinated. Civil Rights bills were
passed twice, once in 1866 and again in 1968.
April 1 April Fools’ Day: Check out JSTOR’s The Completely True History of April Fools’ Day.
April 2, 1792 - Congress established the first U.S. Mint at Philadelphia. The US Mint website includes virtual tours and lots of interesting information about coins.
April 3, 1860 - The Pony Express service began as the first rider departed St. Joseph, Missouri. For $5 an ounce, letters were delivered 2,000 miles to California within ten days. The famed Pony Express riders each rode from 75 to 100 miles before handing the letters off to the next rider. A total of 190 way stations were located about 15 miles apart. The service lasted less than two years, ending upon the completion of the overland telegraph.
- 1995 - Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to preside over the Court, sitting in for Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist who was out of town.
April 4, 1949 - Twelve nations signed the treaty creating NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The nations united for common military defense against the threat of expansion by Soviet Russia into Western Europe.
- 1968 - Civil Rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was shot and killed by a sniper in Memphis, Tennessee.
April 6, 1917 - Following a vote by Congress approving a declaration of war, the U.S. entered World War I in Europe.
April 9, 1865 - General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant in the village of Appomattox Court House ending the Civil War.
1866: Despite a veto by President Andrew Johnson, the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 was passed by Congress granting blacks the rights and privileges of U.S. citizenship.
April 11, 1968: A week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The law prohibited discrimination in housing, protected civil rights workers and expanded the rights of Native Americans.
April 12, 1861: The American Civil War began as Confederate troops under the command of General Pierre Beauregard opened fire at 4:30 a.m. on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
April 12, 1961: Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.
April 14, 1865: President Lincoln is shot
April 16, 1862: Congress abolished slavery in the District of Columbia and appropriated $1 million to compensate owners of freed slaves.
April 18,
1775: The Midnight Ride
of Paul Revere and William Dawes-rode out of Boston at 10 pm to warn patriots
at Lexington and Concord of the approaching British. Check out the Paul Revere website
April 19, 1775: Battle at Lexington Green. An unordered shot became “the shot heard around the world” and began the American Revolution.
April 24, 1800: Library of Congress was established in Washington DC. Excellent website that offers a wealth of information as well as activities to do with students.
April 26, 1986: Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine explodes
April 30, 1789: George Washington became the first U.S. President as he was administered the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall at the corner of Wall and Broad Streets in New York City.
