Parents upset after CT schools cancel Halloween

[lilwriter85]

http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/ ... -halloween

By Jesse Gosselin, WTNH News 8

NEWINGTON >> Traditional Halloween activities including Halloween parades and parties have been canceled in two Newington elementary schools due to concerns that they exclude children whose families don’t celebrate the holiday.

Halloween activities have been canceled at both Anna Reynolds Elementary School as well as Ruth Chaffee Elementary School.

The decision has upset many parents in town. Some have accused the schools of bowing to political correctness from a small minority of families at the expense of their own children’s fun.

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The schools informed parents that they will replace Halloween with “fall- or harvest-themed” celebrations, according to a letter sent to parents. That didn’t appease the parents whose children have traditionally participated in Halloween parades for kindergartners and first-graders where they get to wear their costume to school.

Newington’s other two elementary schools, John Paterson and Elizabeth Green, also do not hold any Halloween themed parades or parties for students. Those two schools stopped several years ago for the same reasons that Anna Reynolds and Ruth Chaffee are stopping now.

My guesses are that the kids that don't celebrate Halloween are JW or members of certain Assembly of God churches that don't celebrate Halloween.

[Lissa1481]

Our school doesn't do Halloween. This is new to us being our first year there, but I'm not upset over it. They must have their reasons.

[Jana814]

Where I live they haven't canceled Halloween. The schools theory is if parents don't want their children to participate then they should send them to school.

[bluehydrangea]

I think it's kind of a bummer. We would live in a really bland world if we cancelled everything that might offend anyone. Theoretically, Halloween doesn't have the direct religious connotations that say, Christmas or Easter have, so I think it's silly. Halloween is tons o' fun for millions of children of many different religious and socio-economic backgrounds; why spoil that when the ones who don't want to participate can just abstain?

[keen23]

Our school doesn't do Halloween either. Public school. Phoenix valley. They wear uniforms every day, and Halloween is no exception.

[formergothardite]

Our schools don't do Halloween or Fall parties. We got a call tonight reminding parents that children cannot come to school on Friday dressed up in costumes. I don't find it that big of a deal. I'm more annoyed that all the local churches get to bombard the kids with invitations to church events.

[Hane]

I live in this part of Connecticut and can practically guarantee that this ban was instigated by vocal JWs. (There are growing numbers of fundigelicals, but they're still a tiny minority.)

My sister and my daughter are both teachers, and have occasionally had to jump through hoops to accommodate such parents. My sister once had a parent object to an October field trip to a pumpkin patch. (She SO wanted to ask this parent whether she blindfolded her kids when they walked through the produce aisle in the supermarket.) My daughter, a music teacher, routinely had to pick her way through a minefield of "appropriate" vs. "inappropriate" Christmas/winter songs. When teaching in a different town, though, she was ecstatic that the administration's official stance was, "If you don't want to sing even secular Christmas songs, you can sit quietly and not disrupt Mrs. C's class."

[shedemei]

My daughter, a music teacher, routinely had to pick her way through a minefield of "appropriate" vs. "inappropriate" Christmas/winter songs. When teaching in a different town, though, she was ecstatic that the administration's official stance was, "If you don't want to sing even secular Christmas songs, you can sit quietly and not disrupt Mrs. C's class."

There aren't "secular" Christmas songs. Sure, they may not mention god or Jesus, but they're still about a religious holiday.

The last time I got into an argument about this at work, I ended up saying that "it's easy for you to say they're not religious or objectionable—you're a christian." I firmly believe that to be true.

[lilwriter85]

I grew up with a girl whose family was JW. They left the JWs when my friend was a teenager. During the years, they were active JWs, the parents didn't send my friend and her siblings to school whenever there were Halloween parties. I remember one year for Valentine's Day, my and a few other JW kids watched a movie in the school office, while V-Day parties were held.

My family lived near a fundie lite family. They had three boys and they homeschooled. They attended a non-denominational church that didn't celebrate Halloween. Every year on Halloween, the church had a movie night. When I was in high school, one of my history teachers was an Assembly of God minster. His church didn't celebrate Halloween. He had kids, but I don't know if he kept them from school on Halloween. He said that his church hosted a potluck every year on Halloween.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

There aren't "secular" Christmas songs. Sure, they may not mention god or Jesus, but they're still about a religious holiday.

However there do exist actual winter songs which sing only about the weather. It's cold, let's snuggle up. It's cold, let's go on a date.

Certainly they have been pretty firmly co-opted as "Xmas songs" for a while, which annoys me. If it's a snowy day in January, I want to hear the snow songs without people thinking "what, it's too late for Xmas music."

100% agreed about all the Santa songs and whatnot, though. If you don't do Xmas, those songs are pointless.

[BrownieMomma]

Surprising to hear that any public school anywhere in America has Halloween celebrations. They've been phased out here for so long, it's ancient history.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Our school (CA) doesn't celebrate Halloween during the day but there's always a "Fall Festival" in the evening on a different day. We just had it on Friday and there was a haunted house and trunk or treat plus everyone wore costumes. It's Halloween but without the name.

[Cheetah]

I love what my youngest kid's school does. For Kindergarten, they have a regular Halloween parade and class parties. For 1st-2nd grade the kids do a report in October on something from nature.. an animal, or the sun, or whatever... and the kids dress as that and give their report. For 3rd and up, they do a biography of a historical character and dress as that person. We do a timeline in the gym where you line up in chronological order and they go around and everyone says who their person is. In class the kids do a more detailed report on their character. They also have a party with Halloween food, which varies by class (some get more into the Halloween theme, some classes downplay Halloween and make it more a fall-themed party).

The kids enjoy this and don't seem to mind that they can't wear their trick-or-treating costume to school (my only gripe is that then you are on the hook for 2 costumes, but we try to recycle and swap). My kids have been Abe Lincoln, Steve Jobs, Orville Wright, Stephen Hawking, Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, Hattori Honzo (long story but they used to do the biography all the way down to 1st grade, and my kid wanted to be a ninja, and we found a real historical one :-)), and now this year my 5th grader is going to be Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo guy who founded the Mario franchise and other video game characters).

Anyway, it's fun for the kids to get a sense of which famous people in history lived at the same time as each other. We always get a pack of Queen Elizabeths, Sacajaweas, and Pocahontases because those costumes are the most fun for the younger girls, but there's a wide variety overall.

[dairyfreelife]

Surprising to hear that any public school anywhere in America has Halloween celebrations. They've been phased out here for so long, it's ancient history.

why? Halloween is fun. It's rather secular as well. I just don't see the harm. Christmas celebrations, sure, but do not get Halloween.

[GeoBQn]

I go back and forth, from "Let the kids have some holiday-related fun" to "why are classes spending an entire day on a Halloween/Valentines/St. Patrick's Day party when teachers are already pressed for time to teach everything." Not that there can't ever be parties in classrooms, but maybe do things that are more connected with lessons, like Dr. Seuss's birthday or Pi Day.

[BrownieMomma]

why? Halloween is fun. It's rather secular as well. I just don't see the harm. Christmas celebrations, sure, but do not get Halloween.

I've never really heard for sure. The trend for a long time has been away from school parties but even if there is no Halloween per se, there are still plenty of harvest festivals.

[keen23]

Our schools don't do Halloween or Fall parties. We got a call tonight reminding parents that children cannot come to school on Friday dressed up in costumes. I don't find it that big of a deal. I'm more annoyed that all the local churches get to bombard the kids with invitations to church events.

Oh WORD. If my kids get one more invite to a "Trunk or Treat" sponsored by XYZ Church of the Holy Winds of God's Arse, I'll scream.

[dairyfreelife]

I've never really heard for sure. The trend for a long time has been away from school parties but even if there is no Halloween per se, there are still plenty of harvest festivals.

Yeah, I just feel they keep taking away a lot of the fun for kids anymore. And I believe they stopped them here too, the parties, but not certain on that. There is some talk about Halloween in general phasing out. As in, the holiday itself, not just school parties. There is always some excuse to move the day of trick-or-treat. Only allowed three days a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays now, but even Thursdays are iffy because of football and Mondays also have football, so they are iffy too. No excuses for not trick-or-treating on Tuesdays...yet. Can't do it Wednesdays or Sundays cause church and Friday nights are high school football and Saturdays may have drunk people and school dances. Because there are lots of drunk people out between 6-8pm, which are the designated trick-or-treat hours here. All the scares of poisoned and razors/needles in candy are also to blame.

[dairyfreelife]

Oh WORD. If my kids get one more invite to a "Trunk or Treat" sponsored by XYZ Church of the Holy Winds of God's Arse, I'll scream.

I don't have children, but heard of the "trunk or treat" and "harvest festivals" churches do around here. Supposed alternatives to the evil Halloween. I would totally tell them we can't come because we are going to be sacrificing the cat to Satan for a devil worship ceremony before dressing up as demons and giving out poisoned candy apples and razor blade candy to the masses. :stir-pot:

[lilwriter85]

Some LDS wards do "Trunk or Treat" events.

[RandomTrivia]

I go back and forth, from "Let the kids have some holiday-related fun" to "why are classes spending an entire day on a Halloween/Valentines/St. Patrick's Day party when teachers are already pressed for time to teach everything." Not that there can't ever be parties in classrooms, but maybe do things that are more connected with lessons, like Dr. Seuss's birthday or Pi Day.

My kid's school does the parties in the afternoon, so only the last hour of the day is party time. Of course, it's a non-religious private school, so they do Fall, Winter, and Valentine/Spring parties instead of Halloween and Christmas. I heard from the in-laws at dinner tonight that "Fall Party" is just to be politically correct, like that's a bad thing to not make some kids feel like outsiders. Their minds will be blown at the Winter Concert in December - 3rd grade is singing Beatles songs. :dance: They also don't do holiday projects in art class, where half my art projects from grade school seem to be Christmas decorations and crap. (I'm jealous of his art class, honestly. They get to glaze and fire clay projects every year, there are oil pastels and all sorts of neat stuff. I didn't glaze anything clay until high school, and even then only twice.)

Fall Party was about two weeks ago, but there was a school Trunk or Treat this weekend - although it was indoors, so there weren't any "trunks" at all, just lots of costumes, candy, and the cardboard arcade games that some of the kids made last month. School sponsored, but not on "school time" so it's more separate and doesn't burn class time.

One of the churches here is doing a Trunk or Treat with "no scary costumes please" on the ad. Which made me wonder, who determines "scary"? Because at the Treat today, I saw kids dressed as a cricket and a praying mantis, which some people would find scary, and of course the clown issue. Plus a Harry Potter (*NOT* fundie-approved but not "scary"), a candy-corn witch, and half a dozen Queen Elsas.

[Toothfairy]

My youngest kids school don't celebrate Halloween. They do have a fall celebration.

[Toothfairy]

I go back and forth, from "Let the kids have some holiday-related fun" to "why are classes spending an entire day on a Halloween/Valentines/St. Patrick's Day party when teachers are already pressed for time to teach everything." Not that there can't ever be parties in classrooms, but maybe do things that are more connected with lessons, like Dr. Seuss's birthday or Pi Day.

Usually when schools have parties it's at lunch time or when the day is almost done. Half an hour to an hour before dismissal. No instructional time lost

[Coco]

I love what my youngest kid's school does. For Kindergarten, they have a regular Halloween parade and class parties. For 1st-2nd grade the kids do a report in October on something from nature.. an animal, or the sun, or whatever... and the kids dress as that and give their report. For 3rd and up, they do a biography of a historical character and dress as that person. We do a timeline in the gym where you line up in chronological order and they go around and everyone says who their person is. In class the kids do a more detailed report on their character. They also have a party with Halloween food, which varies by class (some get more into the Halloween theme, some classes downplay Halloween and make it more a fall-themed party).

The kids enjoy this and don't seem to mind that they can't wear their trick-or-treating costume to school (my only gripe is that then you are on the hook for 2 costumes, but we try to recycle and swap). My kids have been Abe Lincoln, Steve Jobs, Orville Wright, Stephen Hawking, Shakespeare, Albert Einstein, Hattori Honzo (long story but they used to do the biography all the way down to 1st grade, and my kid wanted to be a ninja, and we found a real historical one :-)), and now this year my 5th grader is going to be Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo guy who founded the Mario franchise and other video game characters).

Anyway, it's fun for the kids to get a sense of which famous people in history lived at the same time as each other. We always get a pack of Queen Elizabeths, Sacajaweas, and Pocahontases because those costumes are the most fun for the younger girls, but there's a wide variety overall.

That is awesome. :worship:

eta: this would be so fun to use costumes from A Mighty Girl, like Marie Curie

facebook.com/amightygirl/photos/a.360833590619627.72897.316489315054055/753787461324236/?type=1&relevant_count=1

[Coco]

My kid's school does the parties in the afternoon, so only the last hour of the day is party time. Of course, it's a non-religious private school, so they do Fall, Winter, and Valentine/Spring parties instead of Halloween and Christmas. I heard from the in-laws at dinner tonight that "Fall Party" is just to be politically correct, like that's a bad thing to not make some kids feel like outsiders. Their minds will be blown at the Winter Concert in December - 3rd grade is singing Beatles songs. :dance: They also don't do holiday projects in art class, where half my art projects from grade school seem to be Christmas decorations and crap. (I'm jealous of his art class, honestly. They get to glaze and fire clay projects every year, there are oil pastels and all sorts of neat stuff. I didn't glaze anything clay until high school, and even then only twice.)

Fall Party was about two weeks ago, but there was a school Trunk or Treat this weekend - although it was indoors, so there weren't any "trunks" at all, just lots of costumes, candy, and the cardboard arcade games that some of the kids made last month. School sponsored, but not on "school time" so it's more separate and doesn't burn class time.

One of the churches here is doing a Trunk or Treat with "no scary costumes please" on the ad. Which made me wonder, who determines "scary"? Because at the Treat today, I saw kids dressed as a cricket and a praying mantis, which some people would find scary, and of course the clown issue. Plus a Harry Potter (*NOT* fundie-approved but not "scary"), a candy-corn witch, and half a dozen Queen Elsas.

:lol: yes. Have you seen the meme on facebook - the Elsa drinking game?

My dd wants to be Elsa (almost 5) and i was going to make my ds Olaf (almost 2), had elaborate plans that dental problems and major toothache shot down. So it's going to be half-ass day. lol

A blue dress, a white long sleeve tee and a wig thing out of a sheet, and the rest of the sheet for Olaf tied on with yarn and drawn with some sharpie, the noseless variety of Olaf too probably or who knows maybe a real effing carrot. This winter i'll finish the complicated ones for them, maybe. :D