Our elementary school canceled Halloween

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You wouldn’t let them attend a Christmas party? Are you really this extraordinarily close-minded?

At school, especially as a child, you feel like you're not being given a choice. You will sing this Christmas song, you will watch a Santa movie...even though you're well aware that that's not at all a part of your life. And it's not done in a way to educate, it's done under the guise of "Christmas is for EVERYONE" and of course this is fun for you! Except that it's not.

Outside of school, you're CHOOSING as a family to help celebrate the holiday of a friend, neighbor etc.

I love going to Christmas parties when people I care about invite me. I do NOT like it being shoved down my throat in public or at school/work.

You need to let it go. I'm not into a lot of things either but I don't let it bother me. I understand they bring joy to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You can never celebrate a holiday with another group or culture unless you specifically celebrate it yourself? That's pathetic.

At school, its inappropriate.

DP

Wow, that draws a hard line.

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? We don’t, but one year, a kid in my DD’s elementary classroom handed out small key chains to all the kids in a red envelope. I thought it was super sweet! And my kid learned a few things about Chinese New Year.

According to you, that’s ‘inappropriate’.

My kid has also brought home random crafts from ES, for Kwanzaa, for example. I don’t throw them in the trash because they’re ‘not my holiday’. That seems incredibly harsh and sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You wouldn’t let them attend a Christmas party? Are you really this extraordinarily close-minded?

At school, especially as a child, you feel like you're not being given a choice. You will sing this Christmas song, you will watch a Santa movie...even though you're well aware that that's not at all a part of your life. And it's not done in a way to educate, it's done under the guise of "Christmas is for EVERYONE" and of course this is fun for you! Except that it's not.

Outside of school, you're CHOOSING as a family to help celebrate the holiday of a friend, neighbor etc.

I love going to Christmas parties when people I care about invite me. I do NOT like it being shoved down my throat in public or at school/work.

You need to let it go. I'm not into a lot of things either but I don't let it bother me. I understand they bring joy to others.

I agree with you, PP. But you will never convince people like the totally intolerant and miserable PP. Unfortunately, I know many people like this in real life. Especially here in Montgomery County. They are intolerant and miserable people who want to control what other people do and want to impose their ideals on others (it was super obvious during Covid!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You wouldn’t let them attend a Christmas party? Are you really this extraordinarily close-minded?

At school, especially as a child, you feel like you're not being given a choice. You will sing this Christmas song, you will watch a Santa movie...even though you're well aware that that's not at all a part of your life. And it's not done in a way to educate, it's done under the guise of "Christmas is for EVERYONE" and of course this is fun for you! Except that it's not.

Outside of school, you're CHOOSING as a family to help celebrate the holiday of a friend, neighbor etc.

I love going to Christmas parties when people I care about invite me. I do NOT like it being shoved down my throat in public or at school/work.

You need to let it go. I'm not into a lot of things either but I don't let it bother me. I understand they bring joy to others.

The point of equity is to make sure everybody is equally miserable and disadvantaged. That's what PP is trying to get at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read this whole thread, and I no longer have kids in elementary. I just think it is sad to cancel Halloween when it is a long standing fun tradition in the county. I grew up with an MCPS elementary school behind my house and loved the days when I was older and saw the parades. If it wasn’t such a long tradition I might feel differently.

Once again for the slow people in the back, that did not happen.

That is EXACTLY what happened. MCPS elementary schools often had fun Halloween parades on the black top. Now, those parades are banned.

That doesn't cancel Halloween.

MCPS did since it's a religious school district now.

Will your porch light be on Oct 31? Will you welcome kids demanding candy? Voila! Halloween is not cancelled.

I understand that it continues to be confusing for some posters here...but this is the "MCPS" board, not the "Real Estate" board.

What's confusing is that some people think Halloween celebrations at school are some sort of Important American Tradition, and that a principal deciding not to take time away from the school day to have parties or parades is destroying the community. Things change. Celebrate all you want in your home and neighborhood. Move on.

You move on. We like our traditions. Traditions hold communities together.

Our neighborhood has had a small Halloween parade for several years. It's much better than having it at school, as kids (and/or adults) of all ages can be included in it together. It would be easy enough to get one started. Mention the idea on you neighborhood listserv, or post a sign on a corner.

Then we better start lobbying to stop that, because streets are for driving on, not having Halloween parades. See how that works?

I had a great time celebrating Halloween in school. So did my older kid. So did the generation before us. Leave that tradition alone -- it's worked for literally generations. It's a screaming good time for kids and creates memories that last a lifetime. It drives parents into the schools to volunteer, giving their own kids an experience they themselves had and remember fondly. Leave it alone.

My school canceled it because about 80 to 100 kids were opting out. It just doesn't make sense to create a tradition when that many families are refusing to participate

The school is not ‘creating’ a tradition. If the school continues to allow Halloween celebrations at school, it is continuing a uniquely American tradition that has been enjoyed by kids for decades.

Instead, the school is choosing to cater to religious families and force everyone to abandon this tradition.

Also, how large is your school? My kid’s elementary school has 700 kids. If 80-100 kids didn’t participate, there are still 600 kids who will! In other words, the schooo is taking something fun away from 600 kids, to appease the religious families?

500 kids so about 1/5 of the kids were not participating. Also from a logistical standpoint it's fine to offer an alternative activity for a handful of kids but when you're getting up to that many kids not participating it's a lot of kids to figure out alternative programming

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read this whole thread, and I no longer have kids in elementary. I just think it is sad to cancel Halloween when it is a long standing fun tradition in the county. I grew up with an MCPS elementary school behind my house and loved the days when I was older and saw the parades. If it wasn’t such a long tradition I might feel differently.

Once again for the slow people in the back, that did not happen.

That is EXACTLY what happened. MCPS elementary schools often had fun Halloween parades on the black top. Now, those parades are banned.

That doesn't cancel Halloween.

MCPS did since it's a religious school district now.

Will your porch light be on Oct 31? Will you welcome kids demanding candy? Voila! Halloween is not cancelled.

I understand that it continues to be confusing for some posters here...but this is the "MCPS" board, not the "Real Estate" board.

What's confusing is that some people think Halloween celebrations at school are some sort of Important American Tradition, and that a principal deciding not to take time away from the school day to have parties or parades is destroying the community. Things change. Celebrate all you want in your home and neighborhood. Move on.

You move on. We like our traditions. Traditions hold communities together.

Our neighborhood has had a small Halloween parade for several years. It's much better than having it at school, as kids (and/or adults) of all ages can be included in it together. It would be easy enough to get one started. Mention the idea on you neighborhood listserv, or post a sign on a corner.

Then we better start lobbying to stop that, because streets are for driving on, not having Halloween parades. See how that works?

I had a great time celebrating Halloween in school. So did my older kid. So did the generation before us. Leave that tradition alone -- it's worked for literally generations. It's a screaming good time for kids and creates memories that last a lifetime. It drives parents into the schools to volunteer, giving their own kids an experience they themselves had and remember fondly. Leave it alone.

My school canceled it because about 80 to 100 kids were opting out. It just doesn't make sense to create a tradition when that many families are refusing to participate

The school is not ‘creating’ a tradition. If the school continues to allow Halloween celebrations at school, it is continuing a uniquely American tradition that has been enjoyed by kids for decades.

Instead, the school is choosing to cater to religious families and force everyone to abandon this tradition.

Also, how large is your school? My kid’s elementary school has 700 kids. If 80-100 kids didn’t participate, there are still 600 kids who will! In other words, the schooo is taking something fun away from 600 kids, to appease the religious families?

500 kids so about 1/5 of the kids were not participating. Also from a logistical standpoint it's fine to offer an alternative activity for a handful of kids but when you're getting up to that many kids not participating it's a lot of kids to figure out alternative programming

How about this?

The Halloween festivities start at 2pm. If you don’t want your child to participate, you can pick them up at 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read this whole thread, and I no longer have kids in elementary. I just think it is sad to cancel Halloween when it is a long standing fun tradition in the county. I grew up with an MCPS elementary school behind my house and loved the days when I was older and saw the parades. If it wasn’t such a long tradition I might feel differently.

Once again for the slow people in the back, that did not happen.

That is EXACTLY what happened. MCPS elementary schools often had fun Halloween parades on the black top. Now, those parades are banned.

That doesn't cancel Halloween.

MCPS did since it's a religious school district now.

Will your porch light be on Oct 31? Will you welcome kids demanding candy? Voila! Halloween is not cancelled.

I understand that it continues to be confusing for some posters here...but this is the "MCPS" board, not the "Real Estate" board.

What's confusing is that some people think Halloween celebrations at school are some sort of Important American Tradition, and that a principal deciding not to take time away from the school day to have parties or parades is destroying the community. Things change. Celebrate all you want in your home and neighborhood. Move on.

You move on. We like our traditions. Traditions hold communities together.

Our neighborhood has had a small Halloween parade for several years. It's much better than having it at school, as kids (and/or adults) of all ages can be included in it together. It would be easy enough to get one started. Mention the idea on you neighborhood listserv, or post a sign on a corner.

Then we better start lobbying to stop that, because streets are for driving on, not having Halloween parades. See how that works?

I had a great time celebrating Halloween in school. So did my older kid. So did the generation before us. Leave that tradition alone -- it's worked for literally generations. It's a screaming good time for kids and creates memories that last a lifetime. It drives parents into the schools to volunteer, giving their own kids an experience they themselves had and remember fondly. Leave it alone.

My school canceled it because about 80 to 100 kids were opting out. It just doesn't make sense to create a tradition when that many families are refusing to participate

The school is not ‘creating’ a tradition. If the school continues to allow Halloween celebrations at school, it is continuing a uniquely American tradition that has been enjoyed by kids for decades.

Instead, the school is choosing to cater to religious families and force everyone to abandon this tradition.

Also, how large is your school? My kid’s elementary school has 700 kids. If 80-100 kids didn’t participate, there are still 600 kids who will! In other words, the schooo is taking something fun away from 600 kids, to appease the religious families?

500 kids so about 1/5 of the kids were not participating. Also from a logistical standpoint it's fine to offer an alternative activity for a handful of kids but when you're getting up to that many kids not participating it's a lot of kids to figure out alternative programming

How about this?

The Halloween festivities start at 2pm. If you don’t want your child to participate, you can pick them up at 2.

Seems like an unfair burden to place on parents who might rely on bus transportation to get their children home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read this whole thread, and I no longer have kids in elementary. I just think it is sad to cancel Halloween when it is a long standing fun tradition in the county. I grew up with an MCPS elementary school behind my house and loved the days when I was older and saw the parades. If it wasn’t such a long tradition I might feel differently.

Once again for the slow people in the back, that did not happen.

That is EXACTLY what happened. MCPS elementary schools often had fun Halloween parades on the black top. Now, those parades are banned.

That doesn't cancel Halloween.

MCPS did since it's a religious school district now.

Will your porch light be on Oct 31? Will you welcome kids demanding candy? Voila! Halloween is not cancelled.

I understand that it continues to be confusing for some posters here...but this is the "MCPS" board, not the "Real Estate" board.

What's confusing is that some people think Halloween celebrations at school are some sort of Important American Tradition, and that a principal deciding not to take time away from the school day to have parties or parades is destroying the community. Things change. Celebrate all you want in your home and neighborhood. Move on.

You move on. We like our traditions. Traditions hold communities together.

Our neighborhood has had a small Halloween parade for several years. It's much better than having it at school, as kids (and/or adults) of all ages can be included in it together. It would be easy enough to get one started. Mention the idea on you neighborhood listserv, or post a sign on a corner.

Then we better start lobbying to stop that, because streets are for driving on, not having Halloween parades. See how that works?

I had a great time celebrating Halloween in school. So did my older kid. So did the generation before us. Leave that tradition alone -- it's worked for literally generations. It's a screaming good time for kids and creates memories that last a lifetime. It drives parents into the schools to volunteer, giving their own kids an experience they themselves had and remember fondly. Leave it alone.

My school canceled it because about 80 to 100 kids were opting out. It just doesn't make sense to create a tradition when that many families are refusing to participate

The school is not ‘creating’ a tradition. If the school continues to allow Halloween celebrations at school, it is continuing a uniquely American tradition that has been enjoyed by kids for decades.

Instead, the school is choosing to cater to religious families and force everyone to abandon this tradition.

Also, how large is your school? My kid’s elementary school has 700 kids. If 80-100 kids didn’t participate, there are still 600 kids who will! In other words, the schooo is taking something fun away from 600 kids, to appease the religious families?

500 kids so about 1/5 of the kids were not participating. Also from a logistical standpoint it's fine to offer an alternative activity for a handful of kids but when you're getting up to that many kids not participating it's a lot of kids to figure out alternative programming

How about this?

The Halloween festivities start at 2pm. If you don’t want your child to participate, you can pick them up at 2.

Seems like an unfair burden to place on parents who might rely on bus transportation to get their children home.

Seems like an unfriendly burden to cancel a fun school celebration to appease religious parents who don’t want to participate.

The kids can hang im the cafeteria until dismissal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You wouldn’t let them attend a Christmas party? Are you really this extraordinarily close-minded?

At school, especially as a child, you feel like you're not being given a choice. You will sing this Christmas song, you will watch a Santa movie...even though you're well aware that that's not at all a part of your life. And it's not done in a way to educate, it's done under the guise of "Christmas is for EVERYONE" and of course this is fun for you! Except that it's not.

Outside of school, you're CHOOSING as a family to help celebrate the holiday of a friend, neighbor etc.

I love going to Christmas parties when people I care about invite me. I do NOT like it being shoved down my throat in public or at school/work.

You need to let it go. I'm not into a lot of things either but I don't let it bother me. I understand they bring joy to others.

The point of equity is to make sure everybody is equally miserable and disadvantaged. That's what PP is trying to get at.

EXACTLY how it feels here in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t read this whole thread, and I no longer have kids in elementary. I just think it is sad to cancel Halloween when it is a long standing fun tradition in the county. I grew up with an MCPS elementary school behind my house and loved the days when I was older and saw the parades. If it wasn’t such a long tradition I might feel differently.

Once again for the slow people in the back, that did not happen.

That is EXACTLY what happened. MCPS elementary schools often had fun Halloween parades on the black top. Now, those parades are banned.

That doesn't cancel Halloween.

MCPS did since it's a religious school district now.

Will your porch light be on Oct 31? Will you welcome kids demanding candy? Voila! Halloween is not cancelled.

I understand that it continues to be confusing for some posters here...but this is the "MCPS" board, not the "Real Estate" board.

What's confusing is that some people think Halloween celebrations at school are some sort of Important American Tradition, and that a principal deciding not to take time away from the school day to have parties or parades is destroying the community. Things change. Celebrate all you want in your home and neighborhood. Move on.

You move on. We like our traditions. Traditions hold communities together.

Our neighborhood has had a small Halloween parade for several years. It's much better than having it at school, as kids (and/or adults) of all ages can be included in it together. It would be easy enough to get one started. Mention the idea on you neighborhood listserv, or post a sign on a corner.

Then we better start lobbying to stop that, because streets are for driving on, not having Halloween parades. See how that works?

I had a great time celebrating Halloween in school. So did my older kid. So did the generation before us. Leave that tradition alone -- it's worked for literally generations. It's a screaming good time for kids and creates memories that last a lifetime. It drives parents into the schools to volunteer, giving their own kids an experience they themselves had and remember fondly. Leave it alone.

My school canceled it because about 80 to 100 kids were opting out. It just doesn't make sense to create a tradition when that many families are refusing to participate

The school is not ‘creating’ a tradition. If the school continues to allow Halloween celebrations at school, it is continuing a uniquely American tradition that has been enjoyed by kids for decades.

Instead, the school is choosing to cater to religious families and force everyone to abandon this tradition.

Also, how large is your school? My kid’s elementary school has 700 kids. If 80-100 kids didn’t participate, there are still 600 kids who will! In other words, the schooo is taking something fun away from 600 kids, to appease the religious families?

500 kids so about 1/5 of the kids were not participating. Also from a logistical standpoint it's fine to offer an alternative activity for a handful of kids but when you're getting up to that many kids not participating it's a lot of kids to figure out alternative programming

How about this?

The Halloween festivities start at 2pm. If you don’t want your child to participate, you can pick them up at 2.

Seems like an unfair burden to place on parents who might rely on bus transportation to get their children home.

Couldn't care less. If they're not into it's they have the option to remove their child. Maybe they could send them to the schools media center or gym.

I'd rather they focus on education and not on any of this stuff because it takes time away from education which they're already not able to do well.

[Anonymous]

Seriously Halloween itself is enough. An evening of costumes and huge bags of candy is pretty terrific. Having a school party is like doubling the icing on the cake, it doesn't really make a difference. If you are raising a stink about this but don't know the ins and outs of the curriculum your priorities are misplaced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seriously Halloween itself is enough. An evening of costumes and huge bags of candy is pretty terrific. Having a school party is like doubling the icing on the cake, it doesn't really make a difference. If you are raising a stink about this but don't know the ins and outs of the curriculum your priorities are misplaced.

For many kids, the only celebration is (or used to be) AT school. School used to be community too until the zealots got involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You can never celebrate a holiday with another group or culture unless you specifically celebrate it yourself? That's pathetic.

At school, its inappropriate.

DP

Wow, that draws a hard line.

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? We don’t, but one year, a kid in my DD’s elementary classroom handed out small key chains to all the kids in a red envelope. I thought it was super sweet! And my kid learned a few things about Chinese New Year.

According to you, that’s ‘inappropriate’.

My kid has also brought home random crafts from ES, for Kwanzaa, for example. I don’t throw them in the trash because they’re ‘not my holiday’. That seems incredibly harsh and sad.

There are several holidays in December. We are on break during Christmas. Our school never celebrated it. And, no as a rom parent I would not do a Christmas party as we don’t celebrate it and do a generic winter holiday party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You can never celebrate a holiday with another group or culture unless you specifically celebrate it yourself? That's pathetic.

At school, its inappropriate.

DP

Wow, that draws a hard line.

Do you celebrate Chinese New Year? We don’t, but one year, a kid in my DD’s elementary classroom handed out small key chains to all the kids in a red envelope. I thought it was super sweet! And my kid learned a few things about Chinese New Year.

According to you, that’s ‘inappropriate’.

My kid has also brought home random crafts from ES, for Kwanzaa, for example. I don’t throw them in the trash because they’re ‘not my holiday’. That seems incredibly harsh and sad.

There are several holidays in December. We are on break during Christmas. Our school never celebrated it. And, no as a rom parent I would not do a Christmas party as we don’t celebrate it and do a generic winter holiday party.

We handed out Festivus gift cards to our kids teachers last year. I hope that didn't offend anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG, say it isn't so! Next, will they cancel Christmas?

Not everyone celebrates christmas, which is why schools don't. You celebrate at home.. simple. I would not let my kids celebrate just a christmas party. Not our holiday.

You can never celebrate a holiday with another group or culture unless you specifically celebrate it yourself? That's pathetic.

+1 This is supposed to be a melting pot. We're supposed to celebrate each other, not be exactly the same.