Too much Christmas Education in my Public School

[Anonymous]

I would also raise it with the teacher. This happened in my kid's DCPS school a couple years ago--it is a majority minority school where the vast majority of families are Christian. A non-Christian family raised concerns about some class activities around Easter. The teacher was a longtime, older teacher. In this case, things got elevated to the principal, but I would at least start with the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher. Absolutely you should let her know how you feel. Politely, of course, but as a public school teacher in an extremely diverse school, it is not a secret that you can’t do exclusively Christmas. I try to make things inclusive—and it’s really no more work than doing Christmas only stuff. I teach middle school math, so our linear functions make snowflakes and gingerbread men. Our goofy mystery puzzle activities are to figure out who melted the snowman, not who stole Rudolph.

Gingerbread men are still associated with holiday traditions. no pushback with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would also raise it with the teacher. This happened in my kid's DCPS school a couple years ago--it is a majority minority school where the vast majority of families are Christian. A non-Christian family raised concerns about some class activities around Easter. The teacher was a longtime, older teacher. In this case, things got elevated to the principal, but I would at least start with the teacher.

No wonder our kids and young adults can't get along with anyone who does not believe, act, look or vote exactly like them.

We have spent a generation now of our schools teaching that sharing anything and learning about traditions are bad because if we are not 100% the same, we should all get offended and hurt feelings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Send her for a jewish education.

Why? OP isn't asking for her kid to receive Jewish learning at public school; she just doesn't want her kid inundated with Christmas. She shouldn't be forced to endure Christian indoctrination as the price for a public school education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would also raise it with the teacher. This happened in my kid's DCPS school a couple years ago--it is a majority minority school where the vast majority of families are Christian. A non-Christian family raised concerns about some class activities around Easter. The teacher was a longtime, older teacher. In this case, things got elevated to the principal, but I would at least start with the teacher.

No wonder our kids and young adults can't get along with anyone who does not believe, act, look or vote exactly like them.

We have spent a generation now of our schools teaching that sharing anything and learning about traditions are bad because if we are not 100% the same, we should all get offended and hurt feelings.

PP here, and it was a little different in the above example. It wasn't just sharing about a holiday--the teacher equated springtime with Easter, kind of making the season about one religious holiday. There were some other examples too, but I'm forgetting the details.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She made a Christmas tree, a Rudolph ornament and an Elf ornament, and a Santa hat pencil holder. They were gifts from her to us. All the kids had to make the same thing. I would have been fine with one or two Christmas themed and then a snowman, snowflake, etc.

Those are all secular and non religous things.

They learned about menorahs. Did they learn about advent wreaths? That would be an equivalent religious item.

A menorah is religious.

Santa, elves, reindeer and Christmas trees are not.

But it’s all Christmas, a holiday my kid doesn’t celebrate and is excluded from because we are not Christian. Do you get it? The menorah was a 5 min activity. This was all day everyday for a month. And they learned about the nativity, the wise men and baby Jesus.

The discussions in Spanish class about Jesus, the wise men and the nativity scene need to be brought to the principal's attention. I'd also bring up the weekslong focus on Christmas related activities. My kid's school has winter related activities (a winter party, making snowflakes, snowmen, gingerbread people/houses). You need to discuss it with the principle because talking to this year's teacher does nothing about your concerns for next year. As to the poster who suggested Jewish education classes, I agree. We all need to send our kids to religious education outside of school, and keep religion (including things about the baby Jesus) out of public schools.

I'm not religious at all and I agree.

Why not art work of what their families do in the winter? If that brings up religion... then it does. Each child's. Years ago my son's classmate couldn't have her art work on the bulletin board because she drew her family by the Christmas tree. That went too far IMO.

Op you need to talk to the teacher. The nativity story in public school? No.

There are so many winter based themes. Or use family themes for a project. No reason for it to be Christmas specific. Snowmen, skating, skiing, tobogganing, etc. I remember seeing one bulletin board decorated with a garland of mittens the kids had colored, and then pictures of them doing their favorite winter activity.

There are so many options. Save Christmas for outside of school, unless everyone can share their traditions.

[Anonymous]

My kids went to a dc area secular private twenty years ago. They did the supposedly secular Christmas crafts. My son came home and told me that when a child mentioned Jesus, or asked a question about Jesus, the teacher said, “we’re not going to talk about that now.” It’s unrealistic to think you can do “secular” Christmas stuff for a month and not have a kid bring up Jesus. It puts the teachers in a bind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still OP... eAnd to the posters who were down on Chanukah, my goal here isn’t Jewish/Hindu/other religious based crafts (yes, Christmas is religious). I want mostly secular in public school (some christmas like caroling, a craft or two is fine). Just so everyone is included and there is not putting minorities against majorities, etc. just basically what’s suppose to happen with that separation of church and state.

That is not separation of Church and State. Separation of Church and State means that the state does not support a specific Church (ie: fund it).

Did you take Con Law from a cereal box? Not having religious education in school is absolutely a key element of separation of church and state. One can reasonably debate whether something is religious or not, but separation of church and state is not limited to providing direct government funds to a specific church.

[Anonymous]

I have had the opposite experience. Nowadays, the schools are tiptoeing to make everything not offensive. I think it’s best to learn about and celebrate all of the religions in a classroom. Kid love to celebrate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She made a Christmas tree, a Rudolph ornament and an Elf ornament, and a Santa hat pencil holder. They were gifts from her to us. All the kids had to make the same thing. I would have been fine with one or two Christmas themed and then a snowman, snowflake, etc.

Those are all secular and non religous things.

They learned about menorahs. Did they learn about advent wreaths? That would be an equivalent religious item.

A menorah is religious.

Santa, elves, reindeer and Christmas trees are not.

But it’s all Christmas, a holiday my kid doesn’t celebrate and is excluded from because we are not Christian. Do you get it? The menorah was a 5 min activity. This was all day everyday for a month. And they learned about the nativity, the wise men and baby Jesus.

The discussions in Spanish class about Jesus, the wise men and the nativity scene need to be brought to the principal's attention. I'd also bring up the weekslong focus on Christmas related activities. My kid's school has winter related activities (a winter party, making snowflakes, snowmen, gingerbread people/houses). You need to discuss it with the principle because talking to this year's teacher does nothing about your concerns for next year. As to the poster who suggested Jewish education classes, I agree. We all need to send our kids to religious education outside of school, and keep religion (including things about the baby Jesus) out of public schools.

I'm not religious at all and I agree.

Why not art work of what their families do in the winter? If that brings up religion... then it does. Each child's. Years ago my son's classmate couldn't have her art work on the bulletin board because she drew her family by the Christmas tree. That went too far IMO.

Op you need to talk to the teacher. The nativity story in public school? No.

There are so many winter based themes. Or use family themes for a project. No reason for it to be Christmas specific. Snowmen, skating, skiing, tobogganing, etc. I remember seeing one bulletin board decorated with a garland of mittens the kids had colored, and then pictures of them doing their favorite winter activity.

There are so many options. Save Christmas for outside of school, unless everyone can share their traditions.

So what happens if a kindergarten asks "what does Nativity mean?" after her classmate says they put up their Nativity?

Why can't a teacher answer that question? Their job is to create culturally literate kids and knowing the definition of Nativity along with a general lowdown of the story behind it is just basic cultural literacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have had the opposite experience. Nowadays, the schools are tiptoeing to make everything not offensive. I think it’s best to learn about and celebrate all of the religions in a classroom. Kid love to celebrate.

I agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still OP... eAnd to the posters who were down on Chanukah, my goal here isn’t Jewish/Hindu/other religious based crafts (yes, Christmas is religious). I want mostly secular in public school (some christmas like caroling, a craft or two is fine). Just so everyone is included and there is not putting minorities against majorities, etc. just basically what’s suppose to happen with that separation of church and state.

That is not separation of Church and State. Separation of Church and State means that the state does not support a specific Church (ie: fund it).

Did you take Con Law from a cereal box? Not having religious education in school is absolutely a key element of separation of church and state. One can reasonably debate whether something is religious or not, but separation of church and state is not limited to providing direct government funds to a specific church.

You cannot study history, politics, current events or basic societal norms in a public school by erasing all information and knowledge of religion and religious traditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She made a Christmas tree, a Rudolph ornament and an Elf ornament, and a Santa hat pencil holder. They were gifts from her to us. All the kids had to make the same thing. I would have been fine with one or two Christmas themed and then a snowman, snowflake, etc.

Those are all secular and non religous things.

They learned about menorahs. Did they learn about advent wreaths? That would be an equivalent religious item.

A menorah is religious.

Santa, elves, reindeer and Christmas trees are not.

But it’s all Christmas, a holiday my kid doesn’t celebrate and is excluded from because we are not Christian. Do you get it? The menorah was a 5 min activity. This was all day everyday for a month. And they learned about the nativity, the wise men and baby Jesus.

The discussions in Spanish class about Jesus, the wise men and the nativity scene need to be brought to the principal's attention. I'd also bring up the weekslong focus on Christmas related activities. My kid's school has winter related activities (a winter party, making snowflakes, snowmen, gingerbread people/houses). You need to discuss it with the principle because talking to this year's teacher does nothing about your concerns for next year. As to the poster who suggested Jewish education classes, I agree. We all need to send our kids to religious education outside of school, and keep religion (including things about the baby Jesus) out of public schools.

I'm not religious at all and I agree.

Why not art work of what their families do in the winter? If that brings up religion... then it does. Each child's. Years ago my son's classmate couldn't have her art work on the bulletin board because she drew her family by the Christmas tree. That went too far IMO.

Op you need to talk to the teacher. The nativity story in public school? No.

There are so many winter based themes. Or use family themes for a project. No reason for it to be Christmas specific. Snowmen, skating, skiing, tobogganing, etc. I remember seeing one bulletin board decorated with a garland of mittens the kids had colored, and then pictures of them doing their favorite winter activity.

There are so many options. Save Christmas for outside of school, unless everyone can share their traditions.

So what happens if a kindergarten asks "what does Nativity mean?" after her classmate says they put up their Nativity?

Why can't a teacher answer that question? Their job is to create culturally literate kids and knowing the definition of Nativity along with a general lowdown of the story behind it is just basic cultural literacy.

Nobody said they can't answer a question accurately dimwit. Take your dumb hypothetical and stuff it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still OP... eAnd to the posters who were down on Chanukah, my goal here isn’t Jewish/Hindu/other religious based crafts (yes, Christmas is religious). I want mostly secular in public school (some christmas like caroling, a craft or two is fine). Just so everyone is included and there is not putting minorities against majorities, etc. just basically what’s suppose to happen with that separation of church and state.

That is not separation of Church and State. Separation of Church and State means that the state does not support a specific Church (ie: fund it).

Did you take Con Law from a cereal box? Not having religious education in school is absolutely a key element of separation of church and state. One can reasonably debate whether something is religious or not, but separation of church and state is not limited to providing direct government funds to a specific church.

You cannot study history, politics, current events or basic societal norms in a public school by erasing all information and knowledge of religion and religious traditions.

go away dummy

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still OP... eAnd to the posters who were down on Chanukah, my goal here isn’t Jewish/Hindu/other religious based crafts (yes, Christmas is religious). I want mostly secular in public school (some christmas like caroling, a craft or two is fine). Just so everyone is included and there is not putting minorities against majorities, etc. just basically what’s suppose to happen with that separation of church and state.

That is not separation of Church and State. Separation of Church and State means that the state does not support a specific Church (ie: fund it).

Did you take Con Law from a cereal box? Not having religious education in school is absolutely a key element of separation of church and state. One can reasonably debate whether something is religious or not, but separation of church and state is not limited to providing direct government funds to a specific church.

You cannot study history, politics, current events or basic societal norms in a public school by erasing all information and knowledge of religion and religious traditions.

go away dummy

What are you, 14?