Dear Readers,
Easter Sunday seems to be a “floating” holiday. Easter falls on April 4ththis year, but do you know why? I do not recall for sure but it had something to do with the moon. Let me refresh your memory and mine with this clip from my files: A fixed date for Easter has been one of the greatest disputes in history.
Early Christians cele- brated Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover feast because Christ’s death fell on the day of the feast of the Passover, 14thday of Nisan, the first day of the Jewish religious calendar corresponding to March-April. The Jewish calendar consisted of 12 lunar months, or 354 days with an extra month inserted periodically to bring it in line with the solar calendar.
Easter has not always been celebrated on Sunday. Early in the history of the church, a dispute arose between the Jewish and the Gentile Christians. Jewish Christians maintained that Easter should be observed, like Pesach (Hebrew word for Passover), on the 14thof Nisan – regardless of the day of the week upon which it fell. Gentiles insisted that the holy day be marked on Sunday, since it was on the day of the week that the resurrection had occurred.
The dispute persisted into the Fourth Century, the Western churches generally celebrating Easter on Sunday, and the Eastern churches following the Jewish tradition. In 325 A.D. the Nicaean Council, convinced by Emperor Constantine, declared that Easter should be observed by all on the same Sunday.
But the problem was still not solved because of differences in the systems of chronology followed in various places. In addition, the Gregorian correction of the calendar in 1582 introduced further discrep- ancies. Throughout Western Christe- ndom, the corrected calendar is now universally accepted and Easter is observed on the first Sunday after the full moon fol- lowing the vernal equinox.
In the East the calendar has not been brought into accord with the Gregorian reform, and the day of Easter seldom coincides with the Western date. This year we will celebrate Easter on April 4thbecause it is the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox.
The name “Easter” was proposed by an Eight-Century historian, who is said to have derived it from Eastra, a Germanic Goddess of Spring. In Italian, French and Spanish, the Grego- Latin title taken from Pesach, or Passover is retained. So Buona Pasquato all, and a special “Buon Onomastico” (Name Day) to all the Gents in your life named Pasquale…
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Easter Bunny wisdom: 1.Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. 2. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. 3. Let your happy thoughts multiply like rabbits.
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More new beginnings… The book See! Believe! Achieve! by Robert Grossi, a book for discovering the heart and soul of teaching, belongs in the hands of every elementary school teacher you or the “bambini”in your life know, for every new school year is an opportunity for a new beginning.
The author, Robert “Bob” Grossi, affectionately called “Mr. G” by friends, faculty and students, fostered a compelling sense of success to all during his thirty-seven year career in the classrooms and administrative offices of Los Angeles, California.
Now via this book he will be encouraging excellent teacher practices which can lead to greater achievement for students and teachers alike, throughout the United States from “sea to shining sea”… See! Believe! Achieve! is available on Amazon.com but the book can be ordered directly by sending $20.00 (includes shipping) to: Marilyn Grossi, 274 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103. Italian-American Teachersnever lose their class and Robert Grossi with “roots” in Napoli and Calabria is proof of that. Robert Grossi was born in Los Angeles, California in February 1942.
His parents, Frank and Mafalda Grossi, were first gener- ation Americans. Bob attended school in the South Pasadena School District; in 1951 his family joined Holy Family Parish and he was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. Bob maintained that faith and served as a teacher and principal for Catholic schools most of his career.
Bob had difficulty in school as a child since at the time there was no recognition of, or diagnostic tools for, learning disabilities. Multiple teachers told him he would never be able to succeed at college, but Bob had goals and worked hard for many years to pay for his education, showing absolute persistence.
He got an AA degree at Pasadena City College, then at Cal State Los Angeles he completed his Bachelor’s degree in music education. He later returned to Cal State LA for a Master’s degree in educational administration. With a BA and teaching credential in hand, Bob began a 37- year career in teaching and administration.
Bob had persevered with his dream of achieving an education, and because he knew how it felt to have teachers give up on him, throughout his career he lived by the principle that every student deserves to be respected, and helped to reach his potential. Bob began his career at Pasadena Unified School District, but felt a strong calling to Catholic education. He taught at schools in the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys, and made “fans” among students, parents, and fellow teachers at each location.
While he feels a special affinity for middle school aged children, and primarily taught Social Studies and Language Arts to fifth through eighth graders, he also taught high school for a time, and thoroughly enjoyed the administrative challenges he faced as a principal. For “Mr. G” and the students, a much loved activity was perorming skits through the drama segment of the Language Arts curriculum.
He was also active on many campuses as cheerlead- ing coach, student council mod- erator, and/or Spiritual moderator. Many of his students have let him know that to this day they appreciate his introduction to meditation as a way of calming and grounding oneself against the onslaught of life.
At each school his legacy was the same: literally hundreds of former students recall Mr. Grossi as the single teacher who inspired them, who believed in them, who helped them become the people they are today. Many students stay in touch with Mr. G and thank him for his patience and dedication. In 2007, Bob’s health deterio- rated. He would fall, and lose strength to stand. He had trouble projecting his voice. After several months, doctors’ diagnosed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig Disease.
This disease attacks the nerves that control muscle movement. No treat- ment or cure has been found for the disease, and it is always fatal. In the first few months of his illness, Bob developed weakness in his legs that resulted in his using a walker. The disease also caused weakness in the muscles used to speak, so he slurred his speech. Bob currently is fed through a tube inserted into his stomach, and has a trachea connected to a ventilator to assist with his breathing.
He uses a wheelchair for mobility, and an augmentative communication device to speak. Through all this, he still has his sparkling eyes and contagious smile. He feels blessed to be visited by former students, who continue to share their stories of how he touched their lives.
For some years, Bob has been compiling and organizing thoughts on his approach to education, with the goal of publishing a book to share his wisdom with new teachers and administrators, and reignite the passion of his contemporaries. When the progression of ALS prevented him from working, he decided to pursue this goal. The book, titled See! Believe! Achieve! has been published by Tate Publishing, and is now available.
This book will enlarge his legacy by inspiring other teachers to contribute to their students as he has: to see the invisible, believe the impossible, and achieve the incredible. Although written primarily to inspire teachers, parents and grandparents will find Robert Grossi’s philosophies and practical tips helpful as they assist discovery in the lives of the “bambini” in their care.
To order your copy of See! Believe! Achieve! by Robert Grossi, send $20.00, (tax and post included) to Marilyn Grossi, 274 N. Orange Grove Blvd. Pasadena, California 91103. For more info you can e-mail mgrossi683@charter.net... The book can also be ordered at www.amazon.com “In teachingit is the method and not the content that is the message…. The drawing out, not pumping in.” A. Montagu.
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