Labor Day
September 3
“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Each year, Labor Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the invaluable contributions that working men and women make to our nation, our economy and our collective prosperity. It gives us a chance to show gratitude for workers’ grit, dedication, ingenuity and strength, which define our nation’s character.”
– Thomas E. Perez
International Literacy Day
September 8
“The greatest gift is a passion for reading.”
– Elizabeth Hardwick
“It is not enough to simply teach children to read; we have to give them something worth reading. Something that will stretch their imaginations – something that will help them make sense of their own lives and encourage them to reach out toward people whose lives are quite different than their own.”
– Katherine Patterson
“Literacy is not a luxury, it is a right and a responsibility. If our world is to meet the changes of the twenty-first century, we must harness the energy and creativity of all our citizens.”
– President Bill Clinton
“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”
– Victor Hugo
National Grandparents Day
September 9
“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.”
– Alex Haley
“Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. – Author Unknown
“Grandchildren don’t stay young forever, which is good because Pop-pops have only so many horsey rides in them.”
– Gene Perret
“I loved their home. Everything smelled older, worn, but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture.”
– Susan Strasberg
“The best baby-sitters, of course, are the baby’s grandparents. You feel completely comfortable entrusting your baby to them for long periods, which is why most grandparents flee to Florida.”
– Dave Barry
National Hispanic American Month
September 15-October 15
The “month” is celebrated as a time to explore and honor Latino culture and heritage.
“I think Hispanic community values that resonate in our community are fundamentally conservative. They are faith, family and patriotism. Do you know the rate of military enlistment among Hispanics is higher than any demographic in this country? And they also demonstrate hard work and responsibility.”
– Ted Cruz
Talk Like A Pirate Day
September 19
“Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.”
– Mark Twain
“Why learn algebra? Finding X is only useful if you’re a pirate!”
– Unknown
“I think pirates, like astronauts, particularly for a boy, are always kind of worth thinking about.”
– Daniel Handler
Autumn Begins
September 23
“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”
– Sarah Addison Allen
“My leaves are dead. Everyone bring a rake and come over to pay your respects.”
– Maxine.com
“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
– Stanley Horowitz
“I think raking leaves is Mother Nature’s way of getting you in shape for shoveling snow.”
– Maxine.com
School Begins
“Education helps you earn more money, but not many schoolteachers can prove it.” – E.C McKenzie
“When a teacher calls a boy by his entire name, it means trouble.”
– Mark Twain
“A very wise old teacher once said: ‘I consider a day’s teaching wasted if we do not all have one hearty laugh.’”
– Gilbert Highet
“The illiterate will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” – William Shakespeare
“The difference between try and triumph is a little umph.”
– Marvin Phillips
“Sometimes you have to do what you don’t love, so that you can do what you love.”
– Unknown
“A friend was assigned a new post teaching English to inmates in prison. Feeling a little nervous on his first day, he began by asking the class a basic question: ‘Now, who can tell me what a sentence is?’”
– Reader’s Digest