Pride week in elementary school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That seems like a lot for elementary. I like the themes but do we really need to discuss being trans with kindergartners?

Some kindergartens have trans parents, trans family members, trans neighbors - maybe not a whole spirit day, but discussions, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is my first year in MCPS and my child’s elementary school, Bayard Rustin ES, celebrates Pride month with an entire spirit week. Is this happening at other elementary schools in MCPS? This seems more appropriate for middle or high school. Here is a snippet from the Principal’s weekly message:

Monday is Love is Love Day, where students are encouraged to wear red and lots of hearts to celebrate the fact that Love is Love and that everyone deserves love and kindness.
• Tuesday, June 4th is Trans Day of Acceptance, where students are encouraged to wear pink, light blue, and white to celebrate the bravery of the Trans Community.
• Wednesday, June 5th is The Golden Rule Day, where students are encouraged to wear yellow and gold to remind each other that at Bayard Rustin Elementary School, we follow The Golden Rule and treat others the way we want to be treated.
• Thursday, June 6th is Redfox Spirit Day, where students are encouraged to wear orange and Redfox Spirit Wear to celebrate our school Pride and everything we stand for!
• Friday, June 7th is Rainbow Day, where students are encouraged to wear rainbows, bright colors, and tie dye to celebrate the diversity within our school and within the LGBTQ+ Community. Our Rainbow Club will host a Pride Dance Party at recess.

I think this is absolutely wonderful and don't understand what your issue is with it.

-- Straight, 52 yo white, male empty nester.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lgbtqb folks get the carpet rolled out for them. This is insane.

How about a week celebrating folks with disabilities? We do nothing to celebrate them.

I work at Bayard rustin and we did have a week celebrating neurodivergence. So glad you brought it up!! Our school is the best

Curious how a school celebrates Hispanic Heritage month, Black History month, AAPI month, etc with a spirit week? Do you have the students dress up as famous people from those aforementioned groups?

Dress up as famous people, use colors associated with the month/cause, highlight things about the culture, events, etc. Really just takes someone(s) to sit down and give it thought and then execute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Very interested to know if other schools have a Pride spirit week or it it’s just mine. Thanks.

Our DCC elem is not having a Pride themed Spirit Week. The Mayra in MCPs is that it’s a “system of schools” not a school system. Principals have a lot of free reign to do what they want.

[Anonymous]

Mantra..,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my first year in MCPS and my child’s elementary school, Bayard Rustin ES, celebrates Pride month with an entire spirit week. Is this happening at other elementary schools in MCPS? This seems more appropriate for middle or high school. Here is a snippet from the Principal’s weekly message:

Monday is Love is Love Day, where students are encouraged to wear red and lots of hearts to celebrate the fact that Love is Love and that everyone deserves love and kindness.
• Tuesday, June 4th is Trans Day of Acceptance, where students are encouraged to wear pink, light blue, and white to celebrate the bravery of the Trans Community.
• Wednesday, June 5th is The Golden Rule Day, where students are encouraged to wear yellow and gold to remind each other that at Bayard Rustin Elementary School, we follow The Golden Rule and treat others the way we want to be treated.
• Thursday, June 6th is Redfox Spirit Day, where students are encouraged to wear orange and Redfox Spirit Wear to celebrate our school Pride and everything we stand for!
• Friday, June 7th is Rainbow Day, where students are encouraged to wear rainbows, bright colors, and tie dye to celebrate the diversity within our school and within the LGBTQ+ Community. Our Rainbow Club will host a Pride Dance Party at recess.

I think this is absolutely wonderful and don't understand what your issue is with it.

-- Straight, 52 yo white, male empty nester.

OP, can you give us more context about how this celebration compares to others earlier in the year? I can under stand your feelings if this week is much bigger than Black History Month, AAPI month, Hispanic Heritage month, etc. did your school do anything for Holocaust Remembrance Day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lgbtqb folks get the carpet rolled out for them. This is insane.

How about a week celebrating folks with disabilities? We do nothing to celebrate them.

I work at Bayard rustin and we did have a week celebrating neurodivergence. So glad you brought it up!! Our school is the best

Curious how a school celebrates Hispanic Heritage month, Black History month, AAPI month, etc with a spirit week? Do you have the students dress up as famous people from those aforementioned groups?

Not every school focus week or month is a “spirit week”. My elementary kids learn about famous people from those groups - historical and contemporary. Parents come to class to talk about things like Passover, Easter, Eid, Chinese New Year, Diwali and what those holidays mean to their family. My kids had a spirit week for Mental Health awareness month - they wore “comfy clothes for self care” “wear the color you feel” “wear school logo stuff day” and I forget what else. It was all pretty simple things most families would already have. Our school is careful to not make up elaborate costume or other themes that leave some kids out. It’s always “wear a hat / crazy hair”, “mismatch socks”, or wear the spirit wear shirt that the PTA gives each student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But there are trans kids in elementary school. Think what it could mean to them to be celebrated instead of vilified.

+1

The kids will know that Bayard Rustin was gay and that he supported the LGBTQ+ community. This week seems very appropriate for elementary school and especially for one named after a gay activist.

Not appropriate for elementary school.

Not trying to be snarky but genuinely curious why you think elementary school is too young to learn about LGBTQ+ community? I would think it would help them to understand it’s good to be accepting of all people.

The message of acceptance can be given without discussing sexuality, which is what Pride is about ultimately. It’s not appropriate for young kids. An elementary school can celebrate love and school pride in a spirit week without bringing gay and trans issues into it.

+100

There is no mention of sexuality or issues. In fact if a kid asked what Trans is it could answered simply and then everyone would move on. And why would a school, a place of learning and acceptance avoid Pride month.

I would think each class would have to start with a definition of what trans is. If you skip that part, it is like celebrating MLK day and failing to mention who he was. There is no meaning/learning at all. As a K parent I would be interested to know how a K teacher would cover this topic.

If I were a K teacher, I would probably say that most people feel like their insides and their outsides match. They look like a girl and they feel like a girl, or they look like a boy and they feel like a boy. For some people that's not true, and that's why it's important to listen to people when they tell us who they are.

Then I would probably read Born Ready with them and move on with my day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But there are trans kids in elementary school. Think what it could mean to them to be celebrated instead of vilified.

+1

The kids will know that Bayard Rustin was gay and that he supported the LGBTQ+ community. This week seems very appropriate for elementary school and especially for one named after a gay activist.

Please do NOT whitewash Bayard Rustin’s legacy. He was not just ‘gay’. He was a civil rights activist who championed many humanitarian causes.

And also he was gay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That seems like a lot for elementary. I like the themes but do we really need to discuss being trans with kindergartners?

Will they be defining and explaining LGBTQ+ and trans to the kids so they know what they are celebrating?

I sure hope so. They're professionals and can do so in age-appropriate terms. No one is telling 5 year olds how gay people have sex, if that's what you're insinuating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is my first year in MCPS and my child’s elementary school, Bayard Rustin ES, celebrates Pride month with an entire spirit week. Is this happening at other elementary schools in MCPS? This seems more appropriate for middle or high school. Here is a snippet from the Principal’s weekly message:

Monday is Love is Love Day, where students are encouraged to wear red and lots of hearts to celebrate the fact that Love is Love and that everyone deserves love and kindness.
• Tuesday, June 4th is Trans Day of Acceptance, where students are encouraged to wear pink, light blue, and white to celebrate the bravery of the Trans Community.
• Wednesday, June 5th is The Golden Rule Day, where students are encouraged to wear yellow and gold to remind each other that at Bayard Rustin Elementary School, we follow The Golden Rule and treat others the way we want to be treated.
• Thursday, June 6th is Redfox Spirit Day, where students are encouraged to wear orange and Redfox Spirit Wear to celebrate our school Pride and everything we stand for!
• Friday, June 7th is Rainbow Day, where students are encouraged to wear rainbows, bright colors, and tie dye to celebrate the diversity within our school and within the LGBTQ+ Community. Our Rainbow Club will host a Pride Dance Party at recess.

I think this is absolutely wonderful and don't understand what your issue is with it.

-- Straight, 52 yo white, male empty nester.

OP, can you give us more context about how this celebration compares to others earlier in the year? I can under stand your feelings if this week is much bigger than Black History Month, AAPI month, Hispanic Heritage month, etc. did your school do anything for Holocaust Remembrance Day?

The only other celebration that got a spirit week was Bayard Rustin Week of Service which aligned with his birthday. But even that felt more like a Pride celebration with everyone wearing rainbow colors and activities with the Rainbow club. There are pictures on the Principal’s Twitter account. For the other celebratory months, students are invited to speak on the morning announcements about a significant person from that group. Objectively, it does not feel like all groups are given equal attention at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But there are trans kids in elementary school. Think what it could mean to them to be celebrated instead of vilified.

+1

The kids will know that Bayard Rustin was gay and that he supported the LGBTQ+ community. This week seems very appropriate for elementary school and especially for one named after a gay activist.

Not appropriate for elementary school.

Not trying to be snarky but genuinely curious why you think elementary school is too young to learn about LGBTQ+ community? I would think it would help them to understand it’s good to be accepting of all people.

The message of acceptance can be given without discussing sexuality, which is what Pride is about ultimately. It’s not appropriate for young kids. An elementary school can celebrate love and school pride in a spirit week without bringing gay and trans issues into it.

Is it appropriate for young kids to talk about families? For example, families where the parents are a mother and a father? Or is it only about sexuality when parents are a mother and a mother, or a father and a father?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But there are trans kids in elementary school. Think what it could mean to them to be celebrated instead of vilified.

+1

The kids will know that Bayard Rustin was gay and that he supported the LGBTQ+ community. This week seems very appropriate for elementary school and especially for one named after a gay activist.

Not appropriate for elementary school.

Not trying to be snarky but genuinely curious why you think elementary school is too young to learn about LGBTQ+ community? I would think it would help them to understand it’s good to be accepting of all people.

The message of acceptance can be given without discussing sexuality, which is what Pride is about ultimately. It’s not appropriate for young kids. An elementary school can celebrate love and school pride in a spirit week without bringing gay and trans issues into it.

+100

There is no mention of sexuality or issues. In fact if a kid asked what Trans is it could answered simply and then everyone would move on. And why would a school, a place of learning and acceptance avoid Pride month.

I would think each class would have to start with a definition of what trans is. If you skip that part, it is like celebrating MLK day and failing to mention who he was. There is no meaning/learning at all. As a K parent I would be interested to know how a K teacher would cover this topic.

If I were a K teacher, I would probably say that most people feel like their insides and their outsides match. They look like a girl and they feel like a girl, or they look like a boy and they feel like a boy. For some people that's not true, and that's why it's important to listen to people when they tell us who they are.

Then I would probably read Born Ready with them and move on with my day.

Thank you. That is helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a perfectly fine spirit week for ES in celebration of Pride month. It highlights many of the ideals that are taught in ES like kindness, do unto others, confidence, community .

agreed

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But there are trans kids in elementary school. Think what it could mean to them to be celebrated instead of vilified.

+1

The kids will know that Bayard Rustin was gay and that he supported the LGBTQ+ community. This week seems very appropriate for elementary school and especially for one named after a gay activist.

Not appropriate for elementary school.

Not trying to be snarky but genuinely curious why you think elementary school is too young to learn about LGBTQ+ community? I would think it would help them to understand it’s good to be accepting of all people.

The message of acceptance can be given without discussing sexuality, which is what Pride is about ultimately. It’s not appropriate for young kids. An elementary school can celebrate love and school pride in a spirit week without bringing gay and trans issues into it.

+100

There is no mention of sexuality or issues. In fact if a kid asked what Trans is it could answered simply and then everyone would move on. And why would a school, a place of learning and acceptance avoid Pride month.

I would think each class would have to start with a definition of what trans is. If you skip that part, it is like celebrating MLK day and failing to mention who he was. There is no meaning/learning at all. As a K parent I would be interested to know how a K teacher would cover this topic.

If I were a K teacher, I would probably say that most people feel like their insides and their outsides match. They look like a girl and they feel like a girl, or they look like a boy and they feel like a boy. For some people that's not true, and that's why it's important to listen to people when they tell us who they are.

Then I would probably read Born Ready with them and move on with my day.

Thank you. That is helpful.

And you as the teacher feel equipt to talk to my kindergartener about switching genders? I hope not! If you made that message, many kindergarteners would think that boys who like pink and princesses should become girls and girls who like rough and tumble and short hair should become boys. That is a no! Girls can like whatever they like and boys can like whatever they like, but I don't want my child's kindergarten teacher saying that it's okay to just switch genders. That's overstepping.