Our elementary school canceled Halloween

[Anonymous]

Still waiting to hear about my kids mcps school for this year. Last year the kids dressed up and had snacks in the classroom. There are no room parents, so the school teams organized something. They painted mini pumpkins with polka dots - they learned about the artist Kusama. Had a few snacks (they asked for donations). The PTA decorated an area and called it a "Fall Festival" which the kids got to visit.

[Anonymous]

It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of kids don't celebrate it for religious reasons. Some kids have food allergies. Costumes can be scary for little kids. It's really not a great event to have at a school. I also hate when my kids get sugared up at school before we can even get to the trick or treating.

No one is telling you not to celebrate Halloween, just not to do it in a public school. Not having it in school means that each family gets to decide if and how they're going to do it.

[Anonymous]

Just change it to Storybooks on Parade like our school did years ago. Kids dress up like a book character (and pretty much every character is in some book somewhere) and parade around the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

And Christmas is fine as long as you call it "winter holidays". None of this really has a place in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

We have a fall festival but kids can’t get dressed up for it. So, it’s not like Halloween at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

And Christmas is fine as long as you call it "winter holidays". None of this really has a place in public schools.

So, no celebrating of any holidays in public school? That’s the goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

And Christmas is fine as long as you call it "winter holidays". None of this really has a place in public schools.

So, no celebrating of any holidays in public school? That’s the goal.

What holidays do you think should be celebrated in a public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Principal sounds like a grinch.

It’a not just this principal. Plenty of MCPS schools have banned Halloween.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

And Christmas is fine as long as you call it "winter holidays". None of this really has a place in public schools.

So, no celebrating of any holidays in public school? That’s the goal.

What holidays do you think should be celebrated in a public school?

Clearly, none.

Halloween is a non-religious, secular holiday. There is no reason to ban it.

Thanksgiving is a non-religious, secular holiday. No good reason to ban it either.

If people are opposed to the candy and scary costumes, the school can say ‘No Masks and No Candy’ but still offer a Halloween celebration. Cancelling Halloween is unnecessary and ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just change it to Storybooks on Parade like our school did years ago. Kids dress up like a book character (and pretty much every character is in some book somewhere) and parade around the school.

I’m glad that out ES at least does this in order to circumvent the killjoys in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s interesting how Halloween is fine as long as you call it a fall festival. Lol.

And Christmas is fine as long as you call it "winter holidays". None of this really has a place in public schools.

So, no celebrating of any holidays in public school? That’s the goal.

What holidays do you think should be celebrated in a public school?

Clearly, none.

Halloween is a non-religious, secular holiday. There is no reason to ban it.

Thanksgiving is a non-religious, secular holiday. No good reason to ban it either.

If people are opposed to the candy and scary costumes, the school can say ‘No Masks and No Candy’ but still offer a Halloween celebration. Cancelling Halloween is unnecessary and ridiculous.

My kids have friends who can't celebrate it for religious reasons. So it's not fair banishing some kids to a "fall festival" or to the media center to sit and do nothing.

Look, I celebrate Halloween with my own kids. We love decorating and trick or treating and candy. But we can love that in our own time and not during the school day. Not having it t school doesn't take away any of our fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our elementary school decided to cancel our Halloween parade and is not allowing the kids to wear costumes. The decision was made because other elementary schools in our cluster have decided not to celebrate.

When majority of the community is for celebrating Halloween, why do principals hide behind a few irrational people to make this kind of decision? Needless to say, our elementary community is livid. Is there anyway we can change the principal’s mind at this point?

They likely have no choice but to respect their religious views. In today's world, crazy and irrational beliefs trump common sense just ask the supreme court.

I think celebrating Halloween fosters a hostile workplace for Christian evangelicals and they want to avoid litigation.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, because MCPS allows yoga in schools. I actually love yoga, but it is definitely based in some religious principals.

How does MCPS justify yoga in the classroom?

Halloween is inappropriate, but yoga is fine for elementary school kids, according to MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Livid"? Okay but why? Yes it's fun, but not everyone doe's celebrate Halloween. For the kids who don't, 1-4 adults have to be held back in the gym to take those kids who don't and do some activity while the rest of the school parties. Dealing with the influx of parent volunteers or spectators is hectic for the front office. Dealing with parents who refuse to follow the rules for what kind of food can be brought in is annoying. Some room parents do a lot and that class gets a cake, a ton of candy, and goody bags, whereas the other classroom next door gets much less because that parent didn't know that next door would be a big bash.

I also loved watching the parades when my kids were younger. It's sad when a school cancels it, but they didn't cancel Halloween--your kid can still go trick or treating. They just canceled it IN school. I would be sad, not livid.

Cake and goody bags? People left behind on the gym? What on earth?

Our school has a “book character day” where you can dress up as your favorite character and bring the book that character is in. If you don’t have the book, the library will give you a copy. Then you parade outside for 10 min right after drop off, and that’s it. If you don’t want to wear a costume, no big deal.

It’s when Halloween becomes this ridiculously big thing that things get out of control.

Sorry to break it to you -- maybe you grew up in another country, which is fine -- but Halloween ALREADY IS A BIG THING. Now it's just another joyous experience some sour adults want to steal from children. Have your book character day, have your "book parade" for 10 minutes (what the hell is that?) but what does that have to do with Halloween?

Stop trying to break out society by rewriting all of our traditions. Halloween is a tradition. There's nothing wrong it -- it's FUN. Let American traditions live on for generations, just as they have.