Written by Harper Derabertis, Upland Junior Writer
I believe traditions are important factors to all families. A tradition is the transfer of customs or beliefs from generation to generation or the fact of being passed on in this way. But, you can also start a new tradition that the rest of your family can carry on in the future as well. Everyone has their own special traditions that they do with their surrounding communities to celebrate holidays, achievements, etc. My family’s traditions are important parts of who I am today. Growing up in a multi-religious household, the holiday seasons are always something to look forward to. My mom is Jewish and my dad is Christian, so I celebrate a bunch of holidays and have multiple traditions from them.
One of my favorite traditions is Christmas Eve. That night, right before bed my grandma
always reads my brother, my sister, and me the book The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. When we were all younger it was a great way to calm us down and get us settled for bed. Now that we are getting older we treasure this valuable time with our grandma and find ourselves looking forward to this special tradition more than ever.
Another one of my favorite traditions happens on Easter. We usually go to my mom’s cousin’s house along with a bunch of my other family members. Once there, one of the many things we do at her house is have a whole family raw egg toss. Some people put big trash bags on to cover their outfits in case an egg cracks on one of them. Then, we put on some upbeat music and find a partner. We line up and begin to toss the eggs back and forth and increase the distance with each successful toss until there is a winning pair.
Passover includes another of my favorite traditions. To celebrate Passover, my family and I usually go to my Cousin Micki’s house where we meet up with a lot of my distant family members that we don’t see often. One of the many traditions we do there is find the Afikoman. Cousin Micki hides it around her house and the youngest kids run around trying to find it. If you find it you are rewarded with an amount of money.
These three traditions are my favorites because of the competition, value, and fun it brings. Celebrating traditions with my family is something I always look forward to and will continue to treasure throughout my life.
After working at Unionville for over 13 years, Mike has most certainly left his mark on the high school community. Every day starts with a friendly “hello” from Mike as the kids enter the high school. Whether he knows you or not, Mike makes an effort to greet every student as they walk across the street. These everyday interactions with Mike have made him a familiar face to almost everyone at Unionville. “I really appreciate Mike saying hello in the morning,” Unionville student Ruby Astbury says. “He greets a lot of kids by name, and it’s nice to say ‘hello’ to a familiar face at the start of my day.”
Something as simple as a greeting every day can have a positive effect on those who receive it, and Mike couldn’t be happier that students are comfortable saying “hello” to him. “My favorite part about my job is that the students speak to me,” Mike says. “Everyone says ‘hello’ to me first, and I love that.” Demonstrating kindness is even more important with the responsibilities that Mike has as a security guard. As a security guard, Mike’s responsibility is to make sure students feel safe and comfortable in school. “Being security, it’s important that the kids are open and feel comfortable with coming to me and talking to me,” Mike says. “If I can say ‘hello’ in the morning, and they can say ‘hello’ back, then it might just brighten their day.”
By simply being kind every day, Mike has been able to help create a positive atmosphere at Unionville High School. His everyday g
reetings and friendly conversations with students has helped each student feel valued and included. In regards to demonstrating kindness, Mike sets the perfect example for students and staff, encouraging and inspiring the community to practice kindness themselves.
