Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022 EXCELLENCE | FROM PAGE 11 February holidays, celebrations, observances February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada. Since 1976 the month has been designated to remember the contributions of people of the African diaspora. • February 1: Lunar New Year, one of the most sacred of all traditional Chinese holidays, a time of family reunion and celebration. The Lunar New Year is also celebrated at this time in Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia. • February 1: National Freedom Day, which celebrates the signing of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States in 1865. • February 3: Setsubun-sai (beginning of spring); in Japan this is the day before the beginning of spring, which is celebrated annually as part of the Spring Festival. • February 5: Vasant Panchami, the Hindu festival that highlights the coming of spring. On this day Hindus worship Saraswati Devi, the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, music, art and culture. • February 14: St. Valentine’s Day, a Western Christian feast day honoring one or two early saints named Valentinus. This holiday is typically associated with romantic love and celebrated by people expressing their love with gifts. • February 15: Lantern Festival, the first significant feast after the Chinese New Year; participants enjoy watching paper lanterns illuminate the sky on the night of the event. • February 15: Parinirvana Day (or Nirvana Day), the commemoration of Buddha’s death at the age of 80, when Buddhists believe he reached Nirvana. • February 16: Maghi Purnima, a Hindu festival especially for worshippers of Lord Vishnu; devotees take a holy bath on this day and also carry out charity work. • February 16: Magha Puja Day (also written as Makha Bucha Day), a Buddhist holiday that marks an event early in the Buddha’s teaching life when a group of 1,250 enlightened saints ordained by the Buddha gathered to pay their respect to him; it is celebrated on various dates in different countries. • February 21: Presidents’ Day, a federally recognized celebration in the United States that honors the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, as well as those of every U.S. president. • February 25–March 1: The Intercalary Days (or Ayyám-iHá), a Bahá’í faith celebration; at this time, days are added to the Bahá’í calendar to maintain their solar calendar. Intercalary Days are observed with gift-giving, special acts of charity and preparation for the fasting that precedes the New Year. • February 27: Meatfare Sunday (the Sunday of the Last Judgment), traditionally the last day before Easter of eating meat for Orthodox Christians. Social and Emotional Wellness As part of its ongoing efforts to craft and implement an enduring and effective social and emotional wellness (SELWELL) curriculum, the EPS has launched two initiatives that teachers can weave into their instruction and implement in their classrooms. Mental Health First Aid and Calming Corners are proven methods in helping educators recognize and address mental health challenges, either in the moment or by referring students to the appropriate professionals and service providers. Under the direction of EPS Manager of Social/Emotional Learning and Wellness Patrick Quigley, professional development in Mental Health First Aid and Calming Corners have been extended to Everett teachers to learn and implement these strategies. “One of the absolute worst things about the pandemic has been its impact on the social and emotional well-being of our students,” said Tahiliani. “It is our responsibility to recognize and address this by embedding proven SELWELL practices into our classroom and school environments.” Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized certification program designed to train and certify non-mental health professionals with the concrete skills to recognize, respond and refer people exhibiting mental health or substance-use difficulties to appropriate care. The training stresses early detection and intervention by teaching participants about the signs and symptoms of specific illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and addictions. The program offers concrete tools and answers key questions like “What can I do to support this student?” and “Where can someone find mental health help in Everett?” Participants are introduced to local mental health professionals and resources, national support organizations and online tools for mental health and addictions treatment. The program is popular nationally, as the National Council for Mental Wellbeing has certified more than one million through a network of 12,000 Mental Health First Aid instructors. Quigley is a certiEXCELLENCE | SEE PAGE 17
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