Five Things that Make Us “Us”

by Isabelle Renzi

At 41.9833° N, 71.3333° W, North Attleboro, Massachusetts is a town located 35 minutes south of Boston and 15 minutes north of Providence, located in the hearts of many.  Founded in 1887, many long standing traditions are still in place.

This town is such a special, close-knit place not only because of the people here, but also because of the long lasting traditions.

North Attleboro High School history teacher, Mr. Herber explains why he thinks this community is so special, and his favorite traditions. He explains that the reason he chose to reside in North Attleboro as an adult was the great sense of community: “I really like how North Attleboro essentially represents the American Dream.”

Herber grew up in North Attleboro and has lived in the area his whole life, choosing to return to North Attleboro three years ago. Coaching at NAHS for 15 years and teaching for 13, Mr. Herber says, “I was one of those kids who graduated and thought I would never want to come back but quickly realized that this is where my friends were and there are good opportunities for me here.”

Although there are a lot of things that make North Attleboro unique, some of the most special North Attleboro traditions are listed below.

1. 60th Annual Downtown Santa Parade: The Downtown Association of North Attleboro runs the  Santa Parade, sponsored by Bristol County Savings Bank. It runs from the center of town to Chestnut Street. Prizes are awarded to the best floats in the parade. Santa rides in one of the floats and is accompanied by many local dance schools who perform throughout the 2 mile route.
2. Middle School Heritage Day: Middle School’s Heritage Day is one of its longest standing traditions. Thirty two years in the making, Heritage Day has culminated 57 workshops to give middle school students the opportunity to experience different occupations and demonstrations.
3. The Big Red Bus: Unlike any of its kind, The Big Red Bus is a school bus that shows off the intimidation and class that North Attleboro brings to every sporting event. As an underclassman it is an honor to ride on Big Red, and as an upperclassman it is one of your favorite traditions.
4. Pickleball: Pickleball is a favorite NAHS physical education unit. It is a racquet sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. It can be played by two, three or four people.
5. Rowdy Crowd: The Red Rocketeer Rowdy Crowd is unique to North Attleboro. The excited mob of over one hundred students crowds together under the lights at Community Field on Friday nights to cheer on their favorite home football team. Theme nights, flags, and noisemakers can all be found on any given night, led by this year’s honorary captains, Brian Kleczkowski and Rachel Meilan.