Anonymous wrote:Fundamentalist loon-baggery.

Do you deride other religious groups in this way?

GIVE ME A BREAK!

Let Halloween fun begin. It needs to be done tastefully, that's all. Kids dress as cops and princess, not monsters.

My son's elementary school doesn't have any kind of celebration at all, Halloween or Fall Festival. There are enough Halloween and Fall activities outside of school that he can participate in, so it's no big deal.

An effort to "let" people opt out of a holiday celebration? Are you suggesting that people need permission to do this?

MoCo is a diverse place, and includes populations that do not only not celebrate Halloween, but which actively avoid it (e.g. evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews). It is reasonable to structure the festivities to make it easy for anyone who might be uncomfortable with Halloween to avoid having to celebrate it in any way.

And your issue with this is ... ??? what?

Catholics have their days, so do Jews. What about the devil? It is only fair.

Anonymous wrote:I was talking to a mother the other day at dropoff who says she keeps her kids at home on that day because according to her religion it is a holiday of the devil.

Huh. I didn't know Mrs Boucher had left the bayou and moved up this way.

Anonymous wrote:Because parents have demanded it. The entire day is not devoted to Halloween. It is still an instructional day, and the county would rather have students opt out and attend an alternate event for the hour that the Halloween party is occurring than stay home all day and miss instruction like the previous poster gave as an example.

Exactly this. They want to prevent parents from keeping kids home for the day when the Halloween festivities typically only last about an hour. Our school plans alternate activities in the gym and at least a few kids from each class participate.

It is strictly referred to as a "Fall Festival" at my daughter's elementary school.

Judging by those posts parents in Montgomery County are not very understanding of other cultures.

I was talking to a mother the other day at dropoff who says she keeps her kids at home on that day because according to her religion it is a holiday of the devil.

She's right. We started preparing early this year. Our goats are already plump and prepared for sacrifice. After trick-or-treating, of course.

Fundamentalist loon-baggery.

Because parents have demanded it. The entire day is not devoted to Halloween. It is still an instructional day, and the county would rather have students opt out and attend an alternate event for the hour that the Halloween party is occurring than stay home all day and miss instruction like the previous poster gave as an example.

I was talking to a mother the other day at dropoff who says she keeps her kids at home on that day because according to her religion it is a holiday of the devil.

Anonymous wrote:I have received so many emails and flyers and forms on this? What is behind this?

Yes, in my school there is a separate celebration for those children whose parents are not too keen on Halloween. This is the way it should be in my view.

I have received so many emails and flyers and forms on this? What is behind this?