Reply to Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm a teacher at an elementary school that has a fair number of children from Jehovah's Witness families.   Their families do not celebrate any holidays, including birthdays.   The families do not approve of children having holiday celebrations at school and will keep their children home if they learn of any holiday celebrations.   If there is an event at school that has a legitimate academic focus, then that is generally OK by them, but just plain holiday celebrations is not.  This includes Thanksgiving lunch, Valentine's Day parties, Christmas parties, and May Day, and birthday celebrations.

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So the entire school has to sacrifice because of one group's beliefs?  How does this make sense?  I can understand not wanting to celebrate other religion's holidays (a Christmas or Easter party), but no birthdays?  No national holidays like Thanksgiving?  Could you imagine our country no longer having national holidays because one religious group was opposed to them?  [/quote]

Everything we do at school is supposed to be tied to the curriculum.   If you can make a case for a celebration being tied to the curriculum, then OK.   So if the second graders are studying thePilgrims and want to put on a Thanksgiving play -- that's tied to the curriculum, so go ahead.   But they aren't studying St Valentine.

What they might be studying is the proper way to address a friendly letter.   Soooo.... don't have a "Valentine's Day Party".  Because that's not in the curriculum.   Have a "Friendly Letter" tea.   And practice addressing letters to one another using proper format.   And deliver them.  And have it on February 14th.   See?  that's why people have changed the names of their parties.

Same thing for Halloween.   Kids aren't studying ghouls, ghosts and goblins (or ax murderers, hoboes, princesses and butterflies).   Our school doesn't have a Halloween party or parade.  But, in the fall, we have a dress as your favorite book character parade... and we interpret book character very liberally.   I hate it -- I'd much rather celebrate Halloween as we did when my kids were in Catholic school -- but that's the way it is at our school ... and the reason for it is basically that the Jehovah's Witnesses would keep their kids home.
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How sad... It seems like all the fun has been taken out of education.  How can this type of environment incite creativity and a love for learning?[/quote]

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