"Cultural Sharing" Double Standard

[Anonymous]

This is a total non issue that doesn't affect kids at all, but extremely bored moms want to freak out about for attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a total non issue that doesn't affect kids at all, but extremely bored moms want to freak out about for attention.

Not just bored moms. Bored DCUM moms! They're the worst.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a total non issue that doesn't affect kids at all, but extremely bored moms want to freak out about for attention.

Not just bored moms. Bored DCUM moms! They're the worst.

(Looks in mirror. )

[Anonymous]

Tis the season of the BER months' holidays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So tell if I am being unreasonable to be annoyed here--

DC is in elementary school that frequently touts the beauty and joy of "sharing your culture." At one point, parents were invited in to "share an activity from your culture." As a result of that invitation, my kid brought home a little lantern they made in celebration of Diwali.

And yet, when it comes to mainstream secular holidays like Halloween or Valentines Day, we get emails like this:

Valentine's Reminder

As Valentine's Day approaches, let's be mindful of our school community's inclusive approach to celebrations. While the holiday is often celebrated with parties, distributing Valentines, and treats, it's important to recognize its religious roots, and that not all members of our community may observe it. Additionally, due to serious allergies, our school has a no-candy policy in classrooms.

We got a similar message around Halloween. I can't help but get the feeling, based on these emails, that if I took up the teacher on one of these invitations to "share my culture" around Halloween or Valentines Day or any other secular take on a mainstream American holiday (e.g. Christmas), it would not be well-received. I am all for my kid learning and celebrating other cultures, but this feels like a double standard.

Frankly, I find it annoying that we not allowed to have any common celebration with these holidays. I remember Halloween and Valentines Day as some of my most fun in-school experiences and this feels like they are caving to an unreasonably intolerant minority. Obviously we can and still do invite classmates over to celebrate these holidays at home, but that is not quite the same.

Thoughts?

Yes American culture is being erased.
Please go vote for a different board this election cycle.
We deserve better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tell if I am being unreasonable to be annoyed here--

DC is in elementary school that frequently touts the beauty and joy of "sharing your culture." At one point, parents were invited in to "share an activity from your culture." As a result of that invitation, my kid brought home a little lantern they made in celebration of Diwali.

And yet, when it comes to mainstream secular holidays like Halloween or Valentines Day, we get emails like this:

Valentine's Reminder

As Valentine's Day approaches, let's be mindful of our school community's inclusive approach to celebrations. While the holiday is often celebrated with parties, distributing Valentines, and treats, it's important to recognize its religious roots, and that not all members of our community may observe it. Additionally, due to serious allergies, our school has a no-candy policy in classrooms.

We got a similar message around Halloween. I can't help but get the feeling, based on these emails, that if I took up the teacher on one of these invitations to "share my culture" around Halloween or Valentines Day or any other secular take on a mainstream American holiday (e.g. Christmas), it would not be well-received. I am all for my kid learning and celebrating other cultures, but this feels like a double standard.

Frankly, I find it annoying that we not allowed to have any common celebration with these holidays. I remember Halloween and Valentines Day as some of my most fun in-school experiences and this feels like they are caving to an unreasonably intolerant minority. Obviously we can and still do invite classmates over to celebrate these holidays at home, but that is not quite the same.

Thoughts?

Yes American culture is being erased.
Please go vote for a different board this election cycle.
We deserve better.

Of course go VOTE. But each school Principal or their Admin team can make decisions about holiday celebrations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tell if I am being unreasonable to be annoyed here--

DC is in elementary school that frequently touts the beauty and joy of "sharing your culture." At one point, parents were invited in to "share an activity from your culture." As a result of that invitation, my kid brought home a little lantern they made in celebration of Diwali.

And yet, when it comes to mainstream secular holidays like Halloween or Valentines Day, we get emails like this:

Valentine's Reminder

As Valentine's Day approaches, let's be mindful of our school community's inclusive approach to celebrations. While the holiday is often celebrated with parties, distributing Valentines, and treats, it's important to recognize its religious roots, and that not all members of our community may observe it. Additionally, due to serious allergies, our school has a no-candy policy in classrooms.

We got a similar message around Halloween. I can't help but get the feeling, based on these emails, that if I took up the teacher on one of these invitations to "share my culture" around Halloween or Valentines Day or any other secular take on a mainstream American holiday (e.g. Christmas), it would not be well-received. I am all for my kid learning and celebrating other cultures, but this feels like a double standard.

Frankly, I find it annoying that we not allowed to have any common celebration with these holidays. I remember Halloween and Valentines Day as some of my most fun in-school experiences and this feels like they are caving to an unreasonably intolerant minority. Obviously we can and still do invite classmates over to celebrate these holidays at home, but that is not quite the same.

Thoughts?

Yes American culture is being erased.
Please go vote for a different board this election cycle.
We deserve better.

What is American culture if not an amalgamation of multiple other cultures from around the world? American culture evolves as American society evolves. Get with the times.

[Anonymous]

Bring back Halloween in classrooms! And I grew up in a different culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring back Halloween in classrooms! And I grew up in a different culture

They hate America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tell if I am being unreasonable to be annoyed here--

DC is in elementary school that frequently touts the beauty and joy of "sharing your culture." At one point, parents were invited in to "share an activity from your culture." As a result of that invitation, my kid brought home a little lantern they made in celebration of Diwali.

And yet, when it comes to mainstream secular holidays like Halloween or Valentines Day, we get emails like this:

Valentine's Reminder

As Valentine's Day approaches, let's be mindful of our school community's inclusive approach to celebrations. While the holiday is often celebrated with parties, distributing Valentines, and treats, it's important to recognize its religious roots, and that not all members of our community may observe it. Additionally, due to serious allergies, our school has a no-candy policy in classrooms.

We got a similar message around Halloween. I can't help but get the feeling, based on these emails, that if I took up the teacher on one of these invitations to "share my culture" around Halloween or Valentines Day or any other secular take on a mainstream American holiday (e.g. Christmas), it would not be well-received. I am all for my kid learning and celebrating other cultures, but this feels like a double standard.

Frankly, I find it annoying that we not allowed to have any common celebration with these holidays. I remember Halloween and Valentines Day as some of my most fun in-school experiences and this feels like they are caving to an unreasonably intolerant minority. Obviously we can and still do invite classmates over to celebrate these holidays at home, but that is not quite the same.

Thoughts?

Yes American culture is being erased.
Please go vote for a different board this election cycle.
We deserve better.

What is American culture if not an amalgamation of multiple other cultures from around the world? American culture evolves as American society evolves. Get with the times.

Most immigrants didn’t come here to celebrate Indian and Jewish holidays. It’s ok to be waspy. I say this as an immigrant.

[Anonymous]

Valentines Day and Halloween are pretty secular. I say this as a life long Christian. I get that they had religious roots in Medieval times but the reality is they are secular holidays in the western world.

I have many fond memories of Valentines Day and Halloween as a young kid in PG County Public Schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Celebrating something and learning about something are two totally different things. The latter is appropriate at school, the former isn’t.

Making a little Diwali lantern is not celebrating Diwali? Other examples included kids getting and playing Dreidels for Hanukah.

If you really believe this, please suggest an activity that would be comparable to these activities, but "learning about" rather than "celebrating" Halloween or Valentines but would not directly contradict the email instructions I quoted.

Nor is giving out a valentine by that same standard.

[Anonymous]

Do they do any activity for Thanksgiving week? Some groups do not celebrate it does school system know that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While we are at it can we ban the school closures for Jewish holidays? PLEASE. This is the bane of my existence every year. Let them have an excused absence on the basis of their religion but learning and school should continue on their holidays.

Schools are closed on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because the schools could not function due to how many staff absences there are. It's not out of respect for Jewish holidays, just logistics.

Should we ban closure for Christian holidays? Students can have excused absences on Christmas, but everyone else should continue learning.

[Anonymous]

They couldn't find subs for those two holidays? Sometimes holiday falls over a weekend.