Our elementary school canceled Halloween

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Once again, and parent thinking it's all about them. That's great for you that not celebrating at school doesn't take away any of "our" fun but it does take away from your CHILD'S fun. Because they used to have fun at school celebrating Halloween and now they don't.

[Anonymous]

They didn’t “cancel Halloween.” You can still celebrate Halloween with your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

It's not "plenty of kids." It's a small minority of kids. It has been a 'great event to have at school' for over 50 years.

[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.

What does that have to do with Halloween? That's like saying, forget about Prom, just have kids dress up as characters going to a party in a novel and call it a day instead.

[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.

Halloween is not a religious event.

[Anonymous]

There was an identical thread last year on this when all the schools that feed to Silver Creek MS abruptly cancelled all Halloween celebrations.

We tried to work with the admin to add a spirit day allowing kids the option to dress up, but the principal said kids who dressed up would be sent home. Parents were upset, but there was nothing to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is the guiding principle of MCPS to suck every bit of joy out of ES while simultaneously degrading the educational experience. They’re extraordinarily talented to that end.

This.

I have had kids in MCPS elementary schools for the past decade.

Our ES got rid of Halloween when my oldest was there. Teachers can’t even read a book about Halloween.

Halloween has always been an important part of American culture. I say that as an immigrant, who always lives the idea of American Halloween.

Yet another way we’re eroding away our coming culture in this country.

+1 Destroying American culture. I'm not going to stand for it. This is ACTUALLY how I feel about people trying to turn Halloween into "book character day" -- and also taking away gifts for children's birthday parties and turning Valentine's Day into "friendship day":

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Once again, and parent thinking it's all about them. That's great for you that not celebrating at school doesn't take away any of "our" fun but it does take away from your CHILD'S fun. Because they used to have fun at school celebrating Halloween and now they don't.

Agreed. And it’s not about ‘lost learning time’. Anyone who has kids in an MCPS ES knows they have so much wasted time, it’s not even funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I agree with this.

Especially when there is not good reason being presented as to why it needs to be ‘cancelled’.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is the guiding principle of MCPS to suck every bit of joy out of ES while simultaneously degrading the educational experience. They’re extraordinarily talented to that end.

YES. 100% accurate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

It's not "plenty of kids." It's a small minority of kids. It has been a 'great event to have at school' for over 50 years.

My family was in this minority. I was not allowed to celebrate or participate in any Halloween or fall festival or even dress up. My family was extreme. I was not allowed to go to school on Halloween. The entire month of October was miserable for me.


My take is don’t cancel festivities for the crazy minorities like my family. It’s not fair for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

NP born and raised in the US here. I have no memory of school Halloween festivities of any kind as a child. Halloween is about dressing up and trick or treating in your neighborhood. Stop rewriting traditions to put this on the school and decorate your house for trick or treaters!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

NP born and raised in the US here. I have no memory of school Halloween festivities of any kind as a child. Halloween is about dressing up and trick or treating in your neighborhood. Stop rewriting traditions to put this on the school and decorate your house for trick or treaters!

We celebrated at school AND did trick or treating at night, in our neighborhoods. So did every single adult I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

NP born and raised in the US here. I have no memory of school Halloween festivities of any kind as a child. Halloween is about dressing up and trick or treating in your neighborhood. Stop rewriting traditions to put this on the school and decorate your house for trick or treaters!

So your school was ahead of the curve when it came to ruining the childhood experience.

[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.

???

American Halloween is not a religious holiday.