Do they have Halloween parties at Oakland Terrace ES?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighboring school zone that had a Halloween celebration this year, with a fall festival for those who didn't celebrate Halloween. There were a lot of complaints so I don't know what will happen next year. It sounded like they were considering doing away with future Halloween themed events.

What were people complaining about? Halloween is big around here.

But immigrants aren't from around here and want to make sure they do NOT assimilate but that they also change our country into someplace they prefer to live. Freedom wasn't enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighboring school zone that had a Halloween celebration this year, with a fall festival for those who didn't celebrate Halloween. There were a lot of complaints so I don't know what will happen next year. It sounded like they were considering doing away with future Halloween themed events.

What were people complaining about? Halloween is big around here.

But immigrants aren't from around here and want to make sure they do NOT assimilate but that they also change our country into someplace they prefer to live. Freedom wasn't enough.

Many African Americans whose families have been here for many many generations, also object to Halloween.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

It is not a religious holiday. It is something, like pork, or wearing hair uncovered that violates certain people's religions. Forcing someone to choose between participating in something that violates their religion, or staying home from public school is problematic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighboring school zone that had a Halloween celebration this year, with a fall festival for those who didn't celebrate Halloween. There were a lot of complaints so I don't know what will happen next year. It sounded like they were considering doing away with future Halloween themed events.

What were people complaining about? Halloween is big around here.

But immigrants aren't from around here and want to make sure they do NOT assimilate but that they also change our country into someplace they prefer to live. Freedom wasn't enough.

Our country could use changing. I have no issue if they want to keep their culture and religion just as many demand to here. There needs to be a balance. Freedom is a relative here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

This! OMG, how terrible is it really for a kid to celebrate Halloween? I'm from an immigrant family, so I understand completely what it's like to be a religious minority. I knew the other kids celebrated holidays that we did not, in our family. But, it certainly didn't harm me in any way to at least learn about these holidays and traditions.

And, like the PP, my DS goes to a Jewish preschool, and neither DH nor I are Jewish. DS is only 4, but he knows more about the Jewish religions/traditions than I ever did. He's actually been teaching us things! He knows it's not 'his' religion.

It's ridiculous to make this such a big deal. Halloween isn't a religious holiday. Offering substitute activities, or offering an excused absence for kids who are offended by Halloween is enough. The schools don't need to cancel the celebrations completely. Older DD is at one of these Focus schools that does not celebrate Halloween. Some of the teachers have mentioned how ridiculous it is - they're told very specifically that they can't read books about Halloween (and even Thanksgiving!). How is Thanksgiving even a religious holiday?? It's gotten to be way over the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

It is not a religious holiday. It is something, like pork, or wearing hair uncovered that violates certain people's religions. Forcing someone to choose between participating in something that violates their religion, or staying home from public school is problematic.

I've kept my kid home for things I was not comfortable with (a party where I knew the food would be an issue) or from a field trip as I was not comfortable with the parents chaperoning and they were limiting the volunteers. If you are not Christian, you are often forced to live to deal with the holidays and such. My kid had to celebrate Easter and Christmas this year and it went against our beliefs. I had no idea they were making Easter baskets or I would have kept my child home that day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

The difference is you are choose to go to a Jewish school knowing that they would be exposed to Judaism. Others choose public or non-religious privates expecting that religion is not taught. You are religious so you are ok with some of it. My children do not practice any religion so I am not ok with someone talking about God and Heaven and other things.

Its now not a religious holiday but it has religious origins and that is where the issue is.

[Anonymous]

"It is not a religious holiday. It is something, like pork, or wearing hair uncovered that violates certain people's religions. Forcing someone to choose between participating in something that violates their religion, or staying home from public school is problematic."

They are not being forced to violate their religion nor stay home from school. There are alternate spots they can go during the party. Your position is like saying the schools should be banned from providing any Pork products at lunch just because some kids won't eat them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live in a neighboring school zone that had a Halloween celebration this year, with a fall festival for those who didn't celebrate Halloween. There were a lot of complaints so I don't know what will happen next year. It sounded like they were considering doing away with future Halloween themed events.

What were people complaining about? Halloween is big around here.

But immigrants aren't from around here and want to make sure they do NOT assimilate but that they also change our country into someplace they prefer to live. Freedom wasn't enough.

Many African Americans whose families have been here for many many generations, also object to Halloween.

Despite this, Halloween celebrations continued until recently. And I've never heard of this group objecting to Halloween in public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are obnoxious. It is not celebrated as a religious holiday at all. It is a cultural holiday. Will they try to ban thanksgiving celebrations next?

If they don't want their kid to do it they can send them to the alternate activities or pull them that afternoon.

Our ES has a parade and a class party. Kids who find it offensive have an alternative activity.

Welcome to America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

The difference is you are choose to go to a Jewish school knowing that they would be exposed to Judaism. Others choose public or non-religious privates expecting that religion is not taught. You are religious so you are ok with some of it. My children do not practice any religion so I am not ok with someone talking about God and Heaven and other things.

Its now not a religious holiday but it has religious origins and that is where the issue is.

Not the PP, but where do you draw the line with this? Are schools not allowed to reference the Bible or the Torah because they're religious texts? I'm not Christian and I remember teachers referencing the Bible often in my AP English classes when analyzing books. Sure it's not my religion, but I learned about it, and learned how it influenced the authors and the time, etc.

There are all sorts of things that have 'religious origins'. You can't ban everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know what? Adults are just the damn worst. Thanks for the lecture above on the origins of Halloween. Halloween as it is celebrated in the US is about dressing up, trick or treating, and having fun. No one who isn't already a total weirdo all the time worships the devil on that day. No one is celebrating the devil's birthday. It isn't celebrated as a religious holiday. Just let the kids have their fun. Just stop over thinking everything and raining on all the kids parades!

That's really not it. I work at a school that has fall festival parties instead of Halloween parties. No costumes. We used to have Halloween parties and an alternate activity in the media center, but data collected over a number of years showed a high absence rate on that day and the alternate activity was well attended by the kids who did come to school on that day. At that point it didn't make sense for students to miss the entire day for a one hour party, since many students being kept home were ones who really needed to be in school.

Even with it being clear that it's a fall festival party, not a Halloween party, we still have students absent on that day because parents are concerned that the party will be at all related to Halloween. Kids will outright tell us that Halloween is the devil's birthday, because that's what their parents have taught them. It is what it is. They believe what they believe.

My kids' school could easily be one of the ones under discussion, and I'll admit being a tiny bit disappointed when I found out there wouldn't be a Halloween celebration at school, since my kids always take great care in selecting their costumes. But...yeah, I'm not going to contribute to creating a hostile environment for religious minorities by making a big fuss about it. We get the costumes so the kids have time to wear them to the zoo, neighborhood events, and trick-or-treating. We see a lot of their classmates in the neighborhood, including those who come from nearby apartment complexes to go door-to-door in the SFH neighborhood. It's fine. Really.

But halloween isn't a religious holiday.

And public schools don't observe religious holidays (or religious anything) at school.

I thought we were supposed to embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism? My very catholic kids go to a Jewish preschool. They celebrate Shabbat every Friday at school. They sing hebrew songs and know the blessings. They wear costumes for Purim. They think it's neat. It doesn't impact their religious beliefs, nor does it offend them (or me).

The difference is you are choose to go to a Jewish school knowing that they would be exposed to Judaism. Others choose public or non-religious privates expecting that religion is not taught. You are religious so you are ok with some of it. My children do not practice any religion so I am not ok with someone talking about God and Heaven and other things.

Its now not a religious holiday but it has religious origins and that is where the issue is.

Are you fucking kidding me?

I'm an atheist and we celebrate Halloween. It's fun. Take out All Saints' Day and you're good to go. Stop being stupid. We have practices in the US that you can choose to ignore or you can have fun with them.