Category: April 03

  • NATIONAL IEP WRITING DAY | First Monday in April

    NATIONAL IEP WRITING DAY | First Monday in April

    The first Monday in April is National IEP Writing Day to honor all special education teachers and team members who write Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities.

    #IEPWritingDay

    On National IEP Writing Day, let’s pay it forward by thanking the team of professionals that write and implement IEPs that lead to the success of every student they work with on a daily basis.

    What is an IEP? An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is a compilation of legal documents that are the layout of special education instruction and services needed for student with disabilities to thrive while in school, at home, and in the community.

    Writing an IEP is an under-appreciated job requirement special education teachers and teams provide each year. Statistically, almost 65% of teachers don’t like writing IEPs, and an additional 80% dislike writing Present Levels and the  Goals/Objectives of an IEP. The amount of paperwork that needs to be submitted per student is extremely time consuming.

    IEP Season

    Special education teachers and their teams go to great lengths writing and providing IEPs. In fact, no two IEPs are alike because no two students are alike. The professionals that create these IEPs and implement them are managers of legal documents, medical documents, and educational documents. According to school districts across the country, the average time it takes to write an IEP is between 1 to 2.5 hours per student. However, special education teachers and teams say they actually spend nearly 4 hours writing one IEP. Can you imagine the time it takes to write an IEP for nearly 50 students?

    On average, a special education teacher will write 16 IEPs in one school year. For some, it can be over 100 in a school year. In the Spring many schools have what they call an “IEP Season.” Even though most school districts have teachers writing IEPs year-round, the IEP season is 4-6 weeks in length. During this time teachers will write all IEPs in this short time frame, plus hold IEP meetings with teams and families.

    SPECIAL EDUCATION CELEBRATIONS

    • Write quick note or email to your fellow IEP team members thanking them for helping.
    • Praise your special education students for being a part of your teaching life. 
    • Send in a little treat, a handwritten card, gift card, or flowers to show appreciation to your child’s special education teacher and the rest of the IEP team.
    • Visit The Intentional IEP website and watch videos on the best practices for IEP writing.
    • Use #iepwritingday and #NationalIEPWritingDay to share yourself writing an IEP for a student without giving away confidential information. 
    • Give a public shoutout to the special education teachers and their teams at your school and share on social media using #makingpositivewaves.

    BEHIND NATIONAL IEP WRITING DAY

    National Day Calendar and The Intentional IEP collaborated to form National IEP Writing Day in 2022. Each year during the first Monday in April, we will celebrate special education teachers and their teams for making positive waves in the lives of students.

    The Intentional IEP is a website that helps special education teachers write IEPs more effectively and efficiently. Unsurprisingly, The Intentional IEP celebrates special education teachers and all IEP team members by working together to complete IEPs more collaboratively as a team. This collaboration helps to further facilitate the positive waves in education. The organization offers both free training using blog posts and videos. In addition, they offer paid services that includes video training, a searchable IEP goal bank, and an IEP writing course for teachers.

    Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

    On November 29, 1975, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was signed into law giving disabled students access to services through an IEP. The intent was to help them access the same curriculum as their same-aged, neurotypical peers.

    The IDEA law states public schools must write IEPs for each student with disabilities who qualify for special education services. These IEPs are intended to help students and families:

    • Access the same-aged general education curriculum as their classmates.
    • Provide individualized and specific accommodations based on the student’s needs.
    • Allow special education teachers and teams to modify, adapt and make support changes based on individual IEP details. 

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  • NATIONAL FILM SCORE DAY – April 3

    NATIONAL FILM SCORE DAY

    On April 3rd, National Film Score Day recognizes the musical masterpieces called “Film Scores” and, more specifically, the very talented composers who create them.

    #NationalFilmScoreDay

    As the opening scenes of a long-anticipated movie begin flickering across the screen, a rising cadence undulates through the theater setting the mood. A musical note plays, then two. Soon the theater fills with a beautifully layered orchestral music masterwork. This musical accompaniment to the film you are watching is called the “Film Score.”

    Imagine your favorite film without a few well-placed notes enhancing the emotion of a dramatic on-screen exchange. Or a chase scene without rousing orchestral music elevating the intensity. Would Star Wars, Jaws, The Lord of the Rings films, or the Harry Potter films be the same without their complementary musical scores? Without the film score, would we cower so easily in fear from our seats? Would our imaginations so eagerly suspend from reality? Music heightens emotions. It also sharpens our senses and focuses our attention. Without a doubt, the film score is the fiery soul of a film.

    CELEBRATE NATIONAL FILM SCORE DAY

    • Share your most memorable film score moments. Is it John Williams’ sweeping film scores for Star Wars and Harry Potter? Jerry Goldsmith’s music for Rudy, Alien, Hoosiers, or Star Trek? James Horner’s score for Titanic or Field of Dreams?
    • Listen to your favorite film scores.
    • Learn the backgrounds of great film score composers.
    • Follow Movie Score Radio on Twitter and Facebook.
    • Use #NationalFilmScoreDay to share your fond movie music memories on social media.
    • You can also check out these 7 Most Memorable Film Scores in Filmdom for more movie mania. Which ones would you add?

    NATIONAL FILM SCORE DAY HISTORY

    Jeffrey D. Kern founded National Film Score Day to celebrate and highlight the talented composers’ tireless achievements. The day also honors their treasured musical masterworks that bring so much joy to moviegoers around the globe! 

    On April 3, 1942, United Artists released Alexander Korda’s film The Jungle Book. The legendary composer, Miklós Rózsa, created the orchestral score. The following year, they published a recording made directly from the soundtrack in its entirety on a 78-RPM record album with Sabu’s narration, the film’s star. The Jungle Book soundtrack became the first commercial recording of a non-musical U.S. film’s orchestral score ever to be released. The album experienced phenomenal success.

    The Registrar at National Day Calendar® proclaimed National Film Score Day to be observed annually beginning in 2018!

    Film Score FAQ

    What’s the difference between a film score and a soundtrack? Traditionally, film scores have been instrumental music performed by an orchestra. They enhance the mood for a scene, accompany a specific character and even set the tone for the entire movie. Film scores open and close a movie, too. The soundtrack is a collection of recorded songs selected to accompany specific scenes or moments in the film. They may be already existing songs or original songs composed specifically for the film. The soundtrack also includes the film score.

    Do documentaries include film scores? Many documentaries include film scores as part of their final piece. Just like the film score for your favorite thriller enhances the emotion and intensity of the movie, a documentary film score helps shape the mood and tone of the scenes playing out on the screen.

     

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  • WORLD PARTY DAY – April 3

    WORLD PARTY DAY

    World Party Day on April 3rd encourages a coordinated effort of joyful human celebration around the globe.

    #WorldPartyDay 

    The world gathers to celebrate for many reasons. Forming a party often includes food, beverages, music, games, and other festivities. Hosts often create a theme or the theme generates the party. Several common modern-day party themes include bachelor and bachelorette, birthday, retirement, anniversary, graduation and welcome home. Many other party themes focus on specific foods. 

    In our modern world, parties can also be virtual. We don’t always have to gather in the same location to celebrate a specific event or day. Technology brings us together through video and the internet allowing us to connect long-distance and celebrate all our favorite ways. 

    The novel Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel, by Vanna Bonta published in 1995, which concludes with a synchronized worldwide celebration that occurs on April 3, 2000, is the inspiration for World Party Day. Gatherings can be small or large organized festivals.

    HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD PARTY DAY

    • Where ever you are, celebrate with friends and family. Pick a theme that best fits the day. We’ve created a list of fun ideas to invite friends to join you virtually. Go online and create a video chat or an event on social media to share your party. 
      • Make your own pizza party – Everyone makes their own creative pizza. Share the recipe with other party participants.
      • Movie night party – Pick a movie that all your party invitees will be watching. Pop popcorn and grab your drinks. Everyone starts the movie at the same time and lets the comments fill the online event page. 
      • Trivia party night – Play online trivia in a video chat with friends and family. 
      • Dance party – Challenge friends to record their best dance moves and share them with each other.
      • Game party – Hook up the gaming systems and invite friends and family to join you in the virtual world of games. 
      • Art party – Do it Bob Ross style and invite a local artist to demonstrate techniques for a group of your friends all through the power of the internet. Schedule your events around their already scheduled ones to show your support and appreciation.
      • Take-out party – Pick your favorite restaurants and do a take-out party. Pick just appetizers or your favorite desserts. Everyone meet back at your respective homes and tune in to the event to share where you ordered from. Celebrate good times and good friends while giving a shout-out to the restaurants you love the most!
    • Join the crowd and use #WorldPartyDay to share on social media.

    WORLD PARTY DAY HISTORY

    World Party Day was first observed in 1996 after the publication of Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel by Vanna Bonta. Since then, the sentiment explored by the novel has spread around the world.

    Party FAQ

    Q. What if my birthday is on World Party Day?
    A. When your birthday is on World Party Day, you don’t have to worry about selecting a theme.

    Q. What are some great party songs?
    A. The best parties have an enthusiastic and energetic playlist. Try these:

    • “Get the Party Started” – Pink
    • “Celebration” – Kool & The Gang
    • “I Gotta Feeling” – Black Eyed Peas
    • “Happy” – Pharrell Williams
    • “Can’t Stop the Feeling” – Justin Timberlake
    • “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
    • “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen
    • “Oh Happy Day” – Edwin Hawkins Singers

     

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  • NATIONAL FIND A RAINBOW DAY – April 3

    NATIONAL FIND A RAINBOW DAY

    Each year on April 3rd, National Find a Rainbow Day challenges us to look to the sky and find a colorful ray of hope cast across it. 

    #FindARainbowDay

    There are people that see rainbows as an artistic masterpiece in the sky, to others it is a sign of hope and to many a sign of promise.
    It can be all three; beauty, hope and promise.    (Jill Magnus) 

    A spectrum of light in the form of a multicolored arc, appearing in the sky, is caused by both reflection and refraction of light in water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere. These rainbows always appear directly opposite of the sun. The light is refracted (bent) when it enters a droplet of water, then is reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it.

    Red is the color that is visible on the outer part of a rainbow and violet on the inside of a primary rainbow. Children learn in science class the mnemonic ROYGBIV to help them to remember the sequence of colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Many forms of airborne water can cause rainbows including, rain, mist, spray, and dew.  

    HOW TO OBSERVE FIND A RAINBOW DAY

    • Find yourself a rainbow or use the garden hose or a prism to make one yourself.
    • Families, students, and classrooms, create a rainbow from the colorful hearts on this printable. There’s at least one for every color in the rainbow. Take out your color crayons and finish what we’ve started.
    • Then cut them out and put them in a cheerful, sunny window to brighten the day of someone passing by. 
    • Create a rainbow as part of a science project.
    • Use #NationalFindARainbowDay to post on social media.

    NATIONAL FIND A RAINBOW DAY HISTORY

    National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this bright and colorful holiday.

    Rainbow FAQ

    Q. When is the best time to look for a rainbow?
    A. Rainbows often appear after it rains and the clouds have cleared. The sun casts its rays through the remaining moisture in the air. The water in the air bends the light into its colors. You can also find a rainbow near the ground where dew had formed or water from a sprinkler. Use a prism to cast a rainbow on a wall.

    Q. How can I see an entire rainbow?
    A. You need to get up into the sky to see the full circle of a rainbow. If you’re on an airplane when it’s raining, you might get to see the entire circle.

    Q. Does saltwater refract light differently than freshwater?
    A. Yes. Saltwater is denser than freshwater so it will form rainbows with a smaller radius.

    RELEVANT VIDEO

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  • NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DAY – April 3

    NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DAY

    Every April 3rd National Chocolate Mousse Day recognizes the decadent dessert that gained popularity in France in the 1800s.

    #ChocolateMousseDay

    Mousse is prepared by beating eggs or cream or both to a frothy, airy consistency and then folding the ingredients together to create a light, creamy delight.

    While mousse can be either savory or sweet, for this day, we will focus on that all-time favorite, chocolate.

    The words mousse and chocolate are derived from the French language, so it isn’t difficult to believe France is where to begin looking for the beginnings of this versatile creation. While we have no exact point in time when this might have been, we do know chocolate was introduced to the French around the year 1615, and they fell in love.

    Then a century later, the French developed a method for making a mousse. Savory led the way, but it couldn’t have been long before the same approach was applied to chocolate.

    In the United States, an advertisement in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1887 included classes on how to make chocolate mousse offered by a Miss Parloa. She also advised how to make potato soup, larded grouse, potato timbale, and corn muffins.

    From dark chocolate to milk chocolate, bittersweet, or any combination, there is plenty of variety when it comes to chocolate mousse.

    HOW TO OBSERVE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DAY

    • Make some homemade chocolate mousse. 
    • Order chocolate mousse for dessert.
    • Give a shout-out to the person who makes the best chocolate mousse.
    • Invite a friend to join you for some chocolate mousse.
    • Use #ChocolateMousseDay to post on social media.
    • Do you celebrate every chocolate day? Then get your Certified Chocoholic socks and more here!
    Certified Chocoholic

    NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DAY HISTORY

    National Day Calendar continues researching the origins of this sweet dessert holiday.

    Chocolate Mousse FAQ

    Is chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding the same thing? No. While both chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding are both creamy and delicious, chocolate mousse is lighter and airier than its pudding cousin.

    Are there other mousse holidays on the calendar? Yes. Check out National Mousse Day for a savory version.

    April 3rd Celebrated History

    1860

    Relay teams on horseback begin delivering the first post as part of the Pony Express. The private enterprise consisted of over 80 riders and hundreds of stations along the east-west routes that stretched from St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California. While the Pony Express only operated for 18 months, during that time it was a success. With the incorporation of the Overland Telegraph Company of California and the Pacific Telegraph Company of Nebraska, the Pony Express’ days were numbered.

    1995

    Due to the absences of Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justice John Paul Stevens, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor becomes the first woman to preside over the highest court in the land.

    2010

    Apple Inc. releases the iPad, its first-generation tablet computer.

    April 3rd Celebrated Birthdays

    Washington Irving – 1783

    The American short-story writer brought us the classic tales of “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

    Marlon Brando – 1924

    One of Hollywood’s most memorable actors, Marlon Brando created a string of rebels, villains, and crooks. He was nominated for eight Academy Awards and earned only one.

    Virgil “Gus” Grissom – 1926

    One of the Mercury 7 astronauts, Grissom would become a pioneer at NASA. He became the second American to fly in space on July 21, 1961 aboard the Mercury-Redstone 4. When Grissom flew to space a second time on March 23, 1965, aboard Gemini III, he became the first person to fly in space twice. He would tragically die when a fire erupted during a pre-launch test for the first manned Apollo 1 flight.

    Jane Goodall – 1934

    In 1960, Dr. Jane Goodall first observed chimpanzees creating tools. Before her observance, it was thought only humans created tools.

    Sandra Boynton – 1953

    The American illustrator and author is best known for her children’s board books including The Going to Bed Book, Barnyard Dance, and Belly Button Book! She’s also a songwriter, producer, and director.

    Eddie Murphy – 1961

    The award-winning American actor and comedian gained popularity in the 1980s as a regular on Saturday Night Live. He continued to earn his comedy reputation on the big screen in films such as Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America and Nutty Professor. In 2006, he played the role of James Early in the romantic musical Dreamgirls and received critical recognition.

    Picabo Street – 1971

    In 1998, the downhill skier earned Olympic gold in the Super G women’s skiing event at Nagano, Japan.

    Notable Mentions

    William Alexander Anderson “Big Foot” Wallace – 1817
    William Marcy “Boss” Tweed – 1823
    Bud Fisher – 1885
    Henry Luce – 1898
    Doris Day – 1922

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  • NATIONAL TWEED DAY – April 3

    NATIONAL TWEED DAY

    On April 3rd each year, National Tweed Day focuses on all things tweed. This day has a couple of approaches to celebrating the day, so you decide which one you believe is the source of National Tweed Day.

    #NationalTweedDay

    Some people think the observance celebrates the senator-turned-crook William “Boss” Tweed. Tweed was born on April 3, 1823. He was the wealthiest and most powerful politician of his time. While being considered the “poster boy” for political corruption, Tweed is still known by many as one of the most notorious politicians in American history. He died in 1878, in jail, after being caught with millions of dollars of stolen public money.

    Others believe that National Tweed Day celebrates the fabric. Originally produced in Scotland, the durable textile was initially handwoven. While the rough, woolen cloth is sturdy, it is also known for being lightweight. The traditionally earthy colors blend well with the Scottish landscape, too. Different families of tweed fall into various categories and styles. The estate the tweet represents, the sheep from which the fabric is woven, and the patter all determine the particular kind of tweed it becomes. Famous characters who wore tweed include Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Professor Henry Jones (aka Indiana Jones).

    Combining the Tweeds

    Several actors have portrayed Boss Tweed in film, too. You may recognize Jim Broadbent for his portrayal of Tweed in Gangs of New York. The actor’s wardrobe may also contain a few pieces of tweed, too. One of his more notable tweed-wearing characters was Professor Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter films.

    While Vincent Price may be more well-known for other sinister characters, he also portrayed the notorious politician the musical Up in Central Park. The woolen textile didn’t make much of a stage presence, though. However, Price also voiced Professor Ratigan in the animated film The Great Mouse Detective. Based on the evil nemesis, Moriarity, from the Sherlock Holmes stories, we circle back to all things tweed.  

    Boss Tweed shows up on screen two other times. The actors who portrayed him were Philip Bosco and Edward Andrews. Neither the film (Liberty) or the television series (The Great Adventure) are available for viewing. 

    HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL TWEED DAY

    • Wear a tweed hat, vest, or suit.
    • While wearing your tweed, learn more about William “Boss” Tweed. Discover more about his impact on New York. Watch one of the movies mentioned above.
    • Read a book about textile or about Boss Tweed. May we suggest, Boss Tweed’s New York by Seymour J. Mandelbaum?
    • Use #NationalTweedDay to post on social media.

    NATIONAL TWEED DAY HISTORY

    National Day Calendar continues to research the origins of this textile holiday.

    Tweed FAQ

    Q. What is tweed made from?
    A. Tweed makers use wool to make tweed.

    Q. Are twill and tweed the same thing?
    A. No. Twill is a type of weave and is one method used for making tweed.

     

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