Does your MCPS elementary school still do Halloween?

[Anonymous]

We have friends who have a child at Jones Lane. They said they are doing a parade and party, but the school offered a separate activity in the media center for families who didn't want their kids participating.

[Anonymous]

Roscoe Nix - Yes, but parade was canceled due to weather. They will still wear costumes and have parties in class with alternate fall activity for those not participating.

Cresthaven - Yes, not sure if parade is going on because they did not send notice yesterday like Roscoe. There will be parties and costumes in class. It is called a fall celebration, so all kids can participate with no alternate activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course, and there are no plans to stop, they are very well attended and supported by parents in our Bethesda-area elementaries. I don't understand this push to cancel Halloween at school.

...which school?

[Anonymous]

The push to cancel Halloween is driven more by admins and teachers who are tired of dealing with the added security needs and just the general chaos when there is already so much increased pressure to get instruction in and make test scores.

The families who don't celebrate get to be the scapegoats, and the admins pretend they're trying to be "inclusive," but in reality, just throwing those kids under the bus. The non-celebrating families aren't requesting everyone stop, they just don't want their kids to participate. In my experience working in "diverse" Silver Spring elementary schools for the past 15 years, I've met many families who don't celebrate, some families who just keep the kids home, and one, ONE family that was upset the school celebrated Halloween. And that family was white.

[Anonymous]

Darnestown ES - yes, regular Halloween. Alternate activity for those who don't want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The push to cancel Halloween is driven more by admins and teachers who are tired of dealing with the added security needs and just the general chaos when there is already so much increased pressure to get instruction in and make test scores.

The families who don't celebrate get to be the scapegoats, and the admins pretend they're trying to be "inclusive," but in reality, just throwing those kids under the bus. The non-celebrating families aren't requesting everyone stop, they just don't want their kids to participate. In my experience working in "diverse" Silver Spring elementary schools for the past 15 years, I've met many families who don't celebrate, some families who just keep the kids home, and one, ONE family that was upset the school celebrated Halloween. And that family was white.

It's more of a combination of both things, IMO.

We are at an ES that banned Halloween a few years ago. It's a 'diverse' school where parents did complain. Also, when some kids don't celebrate, there needs to be someone to supervise those kids. We're already perpetually short-staffed, and it's hard to designate an additional staff member to watch just a handful of kids.

I don't think it has much to do with saving instructional time, because our ES has plenty of days where the kids just hang out and watch movies, etc. It's not like every minute is spent 'learning', by any means.

[Anonymous]

We have friends who have a child at Jones Lane. They said they are doing a parade and party, but the school offered a separate activity in the media center for families who didn't want their kids participating.

Travilah ES does this too. I can't imagine the kids not having an in class Halloween party. I really doubt that there is any loss in test scores because one afternoon the kids get a party on Oct 31.

Other than Bells Mills that I just heard about from this post, I've never heard of another school in MCPS not doing a Halloween party.

[Anonymous]

Yes, Piney Branch ES - Fall Celebration - classroom parties and costume parade at the end of the day.

[Anonymous]

Snowden Farm ES is doing "Friendsgiving" instead of a Halloween celebration. Interesting call by the principal since almost all of SFES kids came from Wims last year, and Wims celebrates Halloween. Even more of an interesting call because SFES has no 5th grade this year since they got to finish at Wims and so a lot of families have their 5th grader going to a school where Halloween is celebrated and younger siblings go to a school where it's not. Some families were especially unhappy about that piece.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Snowden Farm ES is doing "Friendsgiving" instead of a Halloween celebration. Interesting call by the principal since almost all of SFES kids came from Wims last year, and Wims celebrates Halloween. Even more of an interesting call because SFES has no 5th grade this year since they got to finish at Wims and so a lot of families have their 5th grader going to a school where Halloween is celebrated and younger siblings go to a school where it's not. Some families were especially unhappy about that piece.

That's is completely weird!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

We have friends who have a child at Jones Lane. They said they are doing a parade and party, but the school offered a separate activity in the media center for families who didn't want their kids participating.

Travilah ES does this too. I can't imagine the kids not having an in class Halloween party. I really doubt that there is any loss in test scores because one afternoon the kids get a party on Oct 31.

Other than Bells Mills that I just heard about from this post, I've never heard of another school in MCPS not doing a Halloween party.

We're at the Barnsley CES, and there is not Halloween celebration during school. Another parent asked about it because our home school does do a Halloween celebration (and it's a fun one!), but the teacher said they're not allowed to celebrate Halloween at school. Kids aren't allowed to dress up today at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Snowden Farm ES is doing "Friendsgiving" instead of a Halloween celebration. Interesting call by the principal since almost all of SFES kids came from Wims last year, and Wims celebrates Halloween. Even more of an interesting call because SFES has no 5th grade this year since they got to finish at Wims and so a lot of families have their 5th grader going to a school where Halloween is celebrated and younger siblings go to a school where it's not. Some families were especially unhappy about that piece.

That's is completely weird!

Yup. Principal wanted to make it clear right off the bat that SFES is not Wims 2.0. Weird flex, but she's the boss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Snowden Farm ES is doing "Friendsgiving" instead of a Halloween celebration. Interesting call by the principal since almost all of SFES kids came from Wims last year, and Wims celebrates Halloween. Even more of an interesting call because SFES has no 5th grade this year since they got to finish at Wims and so a lot of families have their 5th grader going to a school where Halloween is celebrated and younger siblings go to a school where it's not. Some families were especially unhappy about that piece.

I wish our school had a Friendsgiving its so much more inclusive and no one has to be seperated.

[Anonymous]

Jehova Witness

[Anonymous]

Yes at Burning Tree in Bethesda. Parade outside and parties in classroom. I'd say about 200 parents showed up for the parade today.

There is an alternate activity offered for any child who doesn't want to participate.