Our new blankets are in - and they are warm and cozy. The blankets are red, with Bellport embroided in the corner in white. Great for football games to keep warm, or just to snuggle with. The price is $17.00 each, but a better deal is two for $30.00.

The form can be accessed by clicking on it on the left side of page. Please fill it out and send to school with you child to put in the PTA mailbox, or it can be mailed.

The New York State PTA believes that every child deserves excellence in education and in quality of life and the PTA Purposes below outline how this can be accomplished through PTA.

Each local PTA is an independent group that collaborates with its schools, planning its programs and activities to meet the needs of the children and youth in its community. All PTAs must adhere to the Purposes of PTA, Basic Policies and their bylaws. PTA is nonsectarian, noncommercial and nonpartisan. This means that we do not endorse a religion, product or person running for political office. PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization - a not-for-profit organization operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. Board members fulfill fiduciary duties to the organization and the members it serves. The PTA name is a registered service mark.

Because we are a national association, the structure and governance of PTA is very important. Each unit, council and region PTA has bylaws, elected officers and committees. The foundation of the organization is the PTA member and the local PTA unit. We are all part of the State and National PTA and can attend the conventions, workshops and leadership training opportunities. All PTA materials can be duplicated to share with members. Experienced PTA leaders who volunteer at the Region, State and National PTA levels provide support, encouragement, advice, programs, educational materials, publications, conferences, workshops and leadership training. PTA members are advocates for the well-being of children and youth and unit activities should always maintain this focus. PTA speaks for every child with one voice!

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America. Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of

Foods That May Have Been on the Menu

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles Meat: Venison, Seal Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots Fruit: Plums, Grapes Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

What Was Not on the Menu

Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn't appear on the pilgrims's first feast table: Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England. Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common. Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year. Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time. Pumpkin Pie: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin. Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying. Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU?
Please, let us have your suggestions and ideas. You can contact us by email, by phone, or on the membership form if not already sent in!

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