Dear PS 107 Families,
Last week, Mayor Adams announced the exciting news that Diwali will now be an NYC public schools holiday, starting in the 2023-24 school year. In order to maintain the 180-day school year, the DOE will swap Brooklyn-Queens Day (or “Anniversary” Day) for Diwali, as a day off from school for students.
Diwali was originally a festival celebrated by Hindus and is now also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains, and Newar Buddhists. It is one of the most important holidays of the year. Diwali is a 5-day festival that honors the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. This is a particularly apt message for our times.
I am grateful for the New York City Department of Education’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their recognition of the importance of Diwali to a large number of public school teachers, students, and families. Tomorrow, October 24th, is the first day of Diwali, and we will be marking it by sharing about the holiday during Morning Announcements, as well as providing teachers with resources to discuss the holiday further in their classrooms.
Happy Diwali to all of our families who celebrate!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna