"Spring" Egg Hunt for DCPS PK Class - Is this usual?

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

Which is really why schools should not be celebrating holidays (Hanukah presents for eight nights, what?) with young kids - teach about religions when kids are capable of reading and nuanced discussions - MS/HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

Which is really why schools should not be celebrating holidays (Hanukah presents for eight nights, what?) with young kids - teach about religions when kids are capable of reading and nuanced discussions - MS/HS.

I didn't realize Spring is a holiday, which is all this occasion represents. Maybe if the chocolate bunny says its pronouns everyone can go home happy.

[Anonymous]

Easter egg hunts are actually frowned on by conservative Christian churches as overly secularists, because they actually have nothing to do with Easter the religious holiday.

Your school is legally on Solid ground here as there is no chance this wouldn’t be considered a secular aspect of the holiday given that it has no religious root (it actually comes from a pagan tradition). So, if I were you, I’d focus on adding additional activities from my and/or other traditions.

FWIW my kids DCPS did a 12 days of Xmas thing and my eyes were literally popping out of my head… and I’m nominally Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Our Jewish/Christian-raised family does plastic egg hunts every year during Passover weekend. The kids love it.

There is nothing inherently Christian about an egg hunt. It really has nothing to do with Easter religious celebration itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m an atheist, so we don’t celebrate Easter. But this is like Christmas trees, to me, which is a secular part of a Christian holiday. It wouldn’t bother me, but if it bothers you, just have your kid not participate.

Check your privilege. Christmas trees, easter hunts, etc., actually do bother people who are, for example, Jewish.

I'm an atheist from a Christian background, and it wouldn't bother me one bit if my kid's school performed some Jewish (or Muslim, or Buddhist, or Hindu) holiday practice that was fun for kids at the appropriate time of the year. It's not like they would be forcing my kids to worship somebody else's god. Learning about religious traditions falls under religious studies, which is very different from theology or religious indoctrination.

Also, as many have pointed out, egg hunts aren't even a religious practice and are really of pagan origin. They aren't mentioned in any, even apocryphal, Christian scripture.

I can't believe this would be anyone's hill to die on.

[Anonymous]

sounds good to me, you are welcome to have your child opt out if you don't want them to participate but these things are allowed to happen even if you don't like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our Jewish/Christian-raised family does plastic egg hunts every year during Passover weekend. The kids love it.

There is nothing inherently Christian about an egg hunt. It really has nothing to do with Easter religious celebration itself.

Who among the tribe hasn't tried to fit the affi koman inside one of those little plastic eggs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

Which is really why schools should not be celebrating holidays (Hanukah presents for eight nights, what?) with young kids - teach about religions when kids are capable of reading and nuanced discussions - MS/HS.

What? Of course young kids should learn about the holidays some of their classmates celebrate! And then learn to deal with the fact that they are celebrating a different holiday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My main concern is that holding these activities that are associated with Christian holidays brings up a lot of discussion amongst the kids about that holiday. At Christmas time, DD was very upset that we would not be celebrating Christmas at home and had a hard time understanding why Santa wasn't going to bring her presents. I don't think the teachers/school do a great job of being inclusive of other customs or encourage the children to share their families' traditions. It is a very culturally and ethnically diverse school. I feel that holding a Spring Egg Hunt needlessly encourages the kids to talk about the Easter Bunny and how they will get more presents/candy. It's not a religious aspect of the holiday but non-Christians typically don't have egg hunts and my 4 year old has not heard of the Easter bunny. It's a learning lesson of childhood, but if it can be diminished within school that would be better. I was planning to reach out to the teacher to ask how they were also incorporating or discussing aspects of the other major holidays happening this time of year (Passover and Ramadan/Eid) into the class.

Part of the benefit of being in a diverse classroom is that kids will be exposed to (and even participate in) different traditions. If you are worried that the only cultural, seasonal traditions that being celebrated are those associated with Christianity, then raise it with the teacher, and maybe be prepared to suggest some cultural activities that speak to you. But it is not true that the school is responsible for reducing kids talking about Santa and the Easter Bunny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

Which is really why schools should not be celebrating holidays (Hanukah presents for eight nights, what?) with young kids - teach about religions when kids are capable of reading and nuanced discussions - MS/HS.

What? Of course young kids should learn about the holidays some of their classmates celebrate! And then learn to deal with the fact that they are celebrating a different holiday.

'Hanukah presents for eight nights' is a Xmas projection by goyim. Hanukah is a minor holiday with as much religious meaning as St Valentine's day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

Which is really why schools should not be celebrating holidays (Hanukah presents for eight nights, what?) with young kids - teach about religions when kids are capable of reading and nuanced discussions - MS/HS.

What? Of course young kids should learn about the holidays some of their classmates celebrate! And then learn to deal with the fact that they are celebrating a different holiday.

'Hanukah presents for eight nights' is a Xmas projection by goyim. Hanukah is a minor holiday with as much religious meaning as St Valentine's day

If anyone in DCPS wants to promote ecumenical understanding they'd properly log excused religious absences for El Eid or Yom Kippur instead of bothering observant families with robocalls mid-holiday because they can't read/understand their own flipping calendars.

[Anonymous]

OP, you should ask the teacher if you can share some of the traditions from your religious background with the class. My kids are at a different DCPS and their school has always been really receptive to this. My kids love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS had an activity like this for the PK kids a couple years ago. It is a gentrifying school so there is some thinking by some of the teachers that they have to provide these types of experiences at school because some kids don't get them at home. I get that it feels kind of weird because of the association with Easter. But I think its fun for the kids which is the main benefit. When you start stripping away all the fun stuff like this at school it starts to feel pretty joyless.

OP you need to use this as a teachable moment. My kid was sad to learn about Hanukah at school and wanted to know why she wasn't getting presents for 8 nights.

Which is really why schools should not be celebrating holidays (Hanukah presents for eight nights, what?) with young kids - teach about religions when kids are capable of reading and nuanced discussions - MS/HS.

What? Of course young kids should learn about the holidays some of their classmates celebrate! And then learn to deal with the fact that they are celebrating a different holiday.

'Hanukah presents for eight nights' is a Xmas projection by goyim. Hanukah is a minor holiday with as much religious meaning as St Valentine's day

I know this holiday has been inflated in order to compete with Christmas. My point was simply that whatever holidays classmates celebrate should be fair game to teach about at school, and don't need to be avoided as a topic in order to protect the kids from gift envy.

[Anonymous]

My kid came home with gelt and a dreidel at Hanukkah. And wanted to know why we don’t have a Menorah. All I did was tell him it’s because we aren’t Jewish. He’s never come home with any information about Jesus or an advent calendar or anything like that and our school programs have always appeared to go out of the way to never include any songs at the winter concerts that are at all related to Christmas but they definitely sang a Kwanza song and a dreidel song this year. So I’m not going to get upset about an egg hunt either, it sounds fun.