The Pringle Plan: November 2019

Monday, November 25, 2019

St.Patrick's Cathedral Norwich 2019

Cathedral of St. Patrick, Norwich, CT

On a recent field trip with Adventures in Lifelong Learning, we visited a beautiful Catholic church. I've driven by it a number of times since my recent move to Norwich, and have wondered what it was like inside.

Located on Broadway St., the Cathedral of St. Patrick is Norwich's Catholic church

A statue of St. Patrick is across the street in a small park

"This is the house of God, This is the gate of heaven"

Large and grand church interior

Ceiling detail

Red pillars support ceiling arches

Stained glass windows

Several speakers spoke about the church. Unfortunately, the sound system does not work with the current acoustics. Since carpeting was removed and marble floors installed, there is a loud echo that makes understanding speech impossible. Many people found this frustrating and complained, so with hope they will soon fix that problem. In the meantime, you can enjoy the visuals.

On the way out...

...you can see the balcony pipe organ

The story of Jesus' life is told in paintings throughout the church

Close up of the Last Supper

See books by Laura S. Pringle on Amazon

The Pringle Plan is a series of educational guides.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Norwich's Millionaires' Triangle - Walktober 2019

Chelsea Parade looking towards Norwich Free Academy

A large crowd assembled on Norwich's Chelsea Parade Sunday, October 6th. The draw - Norwich's Millionaires' Triangle Walktober 2019 Event, lead by the author of Norwich in The Gilded Age: The Rose City's Millionaires' Triangle, Patricia F. Staley. Our path followed Washington St., Broad St., and Broadway past mid-19th century era mansions - the homes of the one percenters of that era.

William and Harriet Peck House/Joseph Teel House, 1789, Federal style

We stopped in front of each home as Staley told us about the houses and their original inhabitants. These were not just people with connections, but people important in their own right. They are the business leaders who brought jobs to the area, made fortunes and reinvested those fortunes in their community by building schools, libraries, churches and an art museum. They were leaders not just at the local level, but at the state and federal level. There were Civil War Generals, and State Senators. Their children had ties, through marriage, to the well-known Tiffany family, as well as the White House. One daughter, Edith Carow, became First Lady as the second wife of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Charles and Caroline Converse House c. 1865-1870 Gothic Revival

Henry Barnard and Emeline Frisbie Norton House c. 1840 Greek Revival

Leonard Ballou house c.1850, Eclectic

The current owner of the Leonard Ballou house, Paul Rak, generously and graciously invited our large group inside for a peak. He has decorated the interior with antique furnishings, paintings, dishes, and collectibles. A fun tip - Paul buys paintings at online auctions and finds portraits are a lot less expensive than landscape paintings!

Benjamin Tompkins House, c. 1870, French Second Empire

William A. and Eliza Aiken House, 1799/1867, Greek Revival

A side view provides a better impression of how large many of these homes were

J. Newton Perkins House/Pinehurst Apartments, c. 1860, Italianate

Moses Pierce House, c. 1860, Italianate

James L. and Charlotte Hubbard House, c. 1865, Eclectic

Lucius W. and Charlotte Carrol House, 1850, French Second Empire

Henry and Julia Bill House 1854, Italianate

Gurdon Chapman House, c. 1860, Italianate

Bishop's Residence, Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich/ Marianna Hubbard Slater House, c. 1880, Eclectic

Park Congregational Church, 1874, Romanesque Revival

Another view of Park Congregational Church, 1874, Romanesque Revival

Slater Memorial Museum, 1886, Romanesque Revival

For more information, see Staley's book Norwich in the Gilded Age.

Norwich in The Gilded Age by Patricia F. Staley

See books by Laura S. Pringle on Amazon

The Pringle Plan is a series of educational guides.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Veteran's Day Read Alouds For K-3

Free Google Image

The following Veteran's Day Read Aloud recommendations* are from The Pringle Plan For Holiday Read Alouds.

Veteran’s Day books For Kindergarten:

Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops. Jill Biden. When Second Lady, Jill Biden’s son was deployed, she observed her granddaughter’s experience. She wrote this story to share with all Americans to increase our awareness of the sacrifices military families make for the safety of our country.

Hero Dad. Melinda Hardin. A young boy compares his soldier dad to a super-hero.

I Want to be a Soldier. Dan Liebman. Non-fiction. Bold text boxes on full page photos of soldiers talk about bravery, physical fitness, gun safety and a variety of roles soldiers engage in.

Veteran’s Day. Rebecca Rissman. Non-fiction. Simple text and photos. Three-word picture glossary.

Veteran’s Day Book Recommendations for:

First Grade

Brave Like Me. Barbara Kerley. Good choice for all ages, but especially for those with a family member who has been deployed.

H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet. Devin Scillian. A word for each letter tells the story of military life. Side bars add more information, read a few each day.

Military Base. Peggy Pancella. Non-fiction. Housing, barracks, school, shopping, training, and working!

My Red Balloon. Eve Bunting. Excited that his daddy is coming home from overseas, a young boy brings along a red balloon, so his dad will recognize him, after all, he has grown a lot. What will happen when the red balloon floats away? A happy ending of course!

Year of the Jungle. Suzanne Collins. Suzy’s father goes to war in Vietnam. He sends post cards, and then he doesn’t. He comes home. He looks different. Things are not quite the same – except when they are exactly the same.

Second Grade

Sky High: The True Story of Maggie Gee. Marissa Moss. First person account. Maggie explains how her yet-to-be-true dreams of flying a plane turned in to already-true stories she shares with grandchildren.

The Impossible Patriotism Project. Linda Skeers. At first glance, this title may seem more appropriate for President’s Day, but read it all the way through and you will discover a great way to bring the true meaning of patriotism into your Veteran’s Day conversations.

Veteran’s Day. Arlene Worsley. Non-fiction. Interesting bits of information laid out in text, sidebars, and photo captions. Includes U.S. map showing location of Arlington Cemetery, crafts and recipes, fascinating facts, table of contents, index, glossary, and a Veteran’s Day Quiz!

Third Grade

Missions of the Delta Force. L.S. Haskell. Non-fiction. Short chapters explain how this secret, elite, special force fights terrorism.

Missions of the U.S. Green Berets. Brandon Terrell. Non-fiction. Short chapters tell about some of the operations of this Special Force.

Missions of the U.S. Marine Force Recon. Brandon Terrell. Non-fiction. Short chapters tell of some of the many places marines travel to for training and missions.

Missions of the U.S. Navy Seals. L.S. Haskell. Non-fiction. Short chapter book explains what it takes to become a SEAL – physical and mental strength, endurance, a “leave no man behind” philosophy, never giving up, and fighting to win.

*For more Read Aloud recommendations and sample lesson plans see www.ThePringlePlan.com

See books by Laura S. Pringle on Amazon

The Pringle Plan is a series of educational guides.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Norwich City Hall - Walktober 2019

Clock tower - Norwich City Hall, CT

If you've ever wondered about this magnificent building, a Walktober Event featuring a tour of the Norwich City Hall and clock tower is a great way to learn some of its history. Although earlier versions existed in other parts of town, the current City Hall was built between 1870-1873. Just imagine you are a mason, working on a five story structure, during an era when there were no cranes or other power equipment. Bricklayers pulled themselves, and their Philadelphia pressed brick, up on a rope and pulley system. The windows are trimmed in granite and the mansard roof is shingled in slate. An extensive renovation was done in 2000 to bring the building up to code.

Front entrance and Memorial plaza - Norwich City Hall, CT

In front of city hall is a round plaza dedicated in memory of Angelo Sanquedolce who was the city's comptroller from 1968-1998. In the heart of downtown Norwich, CT, the building stands at the intersection of Broadway and Union streets.

Broadway St entrance

City Hall was originally much more than administrative offices. It was also the location of the county courthouse, police department and jail. Our tour began in the basement where prisoners were once held in a manner reminiscent of Otis sleeping off a night's drunk in Mayberry's jail, then released in the morning.

Double cells are now missing the bars that separated prisoners. The cells are now used for storage.

This basement storage area was once the sheriff's office.

One of many vaults at city hall

One of the many original staircases in city hall. Today there is also an elevator.

Norwich tour guides enjoy talking about Lincoln as he once visited the city while campaigning for president. While in town he stayed at the historic Wauregan Hotel - now converted into apartments.