Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:09     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Anonymous wrote:Our school has been doing the same thing for as long as I remember. No objections, the community supports it, and the presents go to a local charity which in turn identifies needy students.

What is the big deal?


The big deal is that the school is observing a religious holiday.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:09     Subject: Re:MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
This sounds very out of character for MCPS. I would definitely report it.

Now our school has sports clubs/teams that sell 'holiday" wreaths, trees and other stuff, and the SGA sells candy cane grams, but that is not religious and the greens sales are community wide. So there is maybe a gray area on this but it sounds like your school has crossed the line.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:08     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Our school has been doing the same thing for as long as I remember. No objections, the community supports it, and the presents go to a local charity which in turn identifies needy students.

What is the big deal?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:06     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I'm not christian and i feel uncomfortable about this - they are collecting for kids within the school community and the children have made wish lists - some very pricey items are on the lists.

I find it strange that a public school would so endorse Xmas as to collecting gifts school wide and talking about Xmas gifts to such a degree. They have noted, over and over, that not many people contributed to the Xmas gifts last year. I feel this reflects 2 things: one, many people don't celebrate Xmas, and 2) gifts are luxuries.

If our school was collecting food or grocery store gift cards for Xmas dinner, I would not be on here complaining.

So, my question is, do I bump up my discomfort to the Principal or not?
I don't want to be a totally obnoxious parent, but I don't think it's appropriate for a public school to be collecting new presents for kids for Christmas.


I'm Jewish, the Holiday is called Christmas, and I fully support this!


Xmas is an abbreviation of Christmas. The X in Xmas is the Greek letter chi. Chi is the first letter of the word "Christos", which is Christ in Greek.

Also, I'm also Jewish, and I, personally, have never, ever met another Jew who thought it was a good idea for public schools to collect Christmas presents, or objected to spelling Christmas as Xmas. Not to say that there aren't any. But I have never met any.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:04     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If people want to contribute toys they can give to the Marines "Toys for Tots".

Otherwise, it is very hypocritical of MCPS to allow toy collecting for Christmas, whereas they are unable to give a religious holiday to Muslims.

- Not a Muslim, Jew or Christian.


Public schools are 'public'... of the people, the vat majority of those people are Christian, why should their school district not support Christmas related charity?


That is not actually how it works.

Although I kind of wish it did, because then I could claim the public land behind my house as mine, on grounds that I am the public.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:03     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
OP here: the ES is collecting for kids within our own ES - not very many families in total, so maybe 20-30 gifts are being requested. The age of the child and the "wish" item has been given.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:02     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
What school? Who is organizing it? How do you know about the "wish lists?" How does a child get picked to submit a wish list? And there is school "shaming" going on-hassling people who have not given money or toys? What's next. An Easter Basket candy drive in the spring?

Our HS list serve had a request for donations to Child Welfare Services for kids in out of home foster care placements. That I have happily donated to.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 18:01     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Anonymous wrote:Hmmm...I'm curious which school this is and who the principal is. A mcps principal was moved out of one school for selling candy (all cash transactions) at school...proceeds were supposed to benefit the school, charity, etc...was never really clear. To make a long story short, she was pocketing the money. And in Baltimore City there was a school official who took gift cards that were meant to benefit kids and used them herself.

My concern with this school project is no oversight from an outside org. What's stopping the principal (or whoever is organizing it) from pocketing the good donations?

This raises all sorts of red flags.


Agree that it raises too many red flags. Is the school collecting for a certain organization?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 17:30     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Hmmm...I'm curious which school this is and who the principal is. A mcps principal was moved out of one school for selling candy (all cash transactions) at school...proceeds were supposed to benefit the school, charity, etc...was never really clear. To make a long story short, she was pocketing the money. And in Baltimore City there was a school official who took gift cards that were meant to benefit kids and used them herself.

My concern with this school project is no oversight from an outside org. What's stopping the principal (or whoever is organizing it) from pocketing the good donations?

This raises all sorts of red flags.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 17:30     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Anonymous wrote:If people want to contribute toys they can give to the Marines "Toys for Tots".

Otherwise, it is very hypocritical of MCPS to allow toy collecting for Christmas, whereas they are unable to give a religious holiday to Muslims.

- Not a Muslim, Jew or Christian.


Public schools are 'public'... of the people, the vat majority of those people are Christian, why should their school district not support Christmas related charity?
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 17:13     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Anonymous wrote:
I'm not christian and i feel uncomfortable about this - they are collecting for kids within the school community and the children have made wish lists - some very pricey items are on the lists.

I find it strange that a public school would so endorse Xmas as to collecting gifts school wide and talking about Xmas gifts to such a degree. They have noted, over and over, that not many people contributed to the Xmas gifts last year. I feel this reflects 2 things: one, many people don't celebrate Xmas, and 2) gifts are luxuries.

If our school was collecting food or grocery store gift cards for Xmas dinner, I would not be on here complaining.

So, my question is, do I bump up my discomfort to the Principal or not?
I don't want to be a totally obnoxious parent, but I don't think it's appropriate for a public school to be collecting new presents for kids for Christmas.


I'm Jewish, the Holiday is called Christmas, and I fully support this!
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 16:43     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
If people want to contribute toys they can give to the Marines "Toys for Tots".

Otherwise, it is very hypocritical of MCPS to allow toy collecting for Christmas, whereas they are unable to give a religious holiday to Muslims.

- Not a Muslim, Jew or Christian.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 14:50     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
What in the world?? I'd be pretty upset. This should not be going on in a public school. Is it an ES?

I'm Christian, and would also find it inappropriate.

I agree that I'd be fine with a 'holiday food drive' or something, but not toys.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 14:42     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts
Bypass the principal and go straight to the community superintendent.

Public schools should not be doing this...churches and charities do this.

I'd also email Starr and all his top minions. And perhaps let the school board and the Washington Post know.
Anonymous
Post 11/17/2014 14:26     Subject: MCPS school collecting Xmas gifts

I'm not christian and i feel uncomfortable about this - they are collecting for kids within the school community and the children have made wish lists - some very pricey items are on the lists.

I find it strange that a public school would so endorse Xmas as to collecting gifts school wide and talking about Xmas gifts to such a degree. They have noted, over and over, that not many people contributed to the Xmas gifts last year. I feel this reflects 2 things: one, many people don't celebrate Xmas, and 2) gifts are luxuries.

If our school was collecting food or grocery store gift cards for Xmas dinner, I would not be on here complaining.

So, my question is, do I bump up my discomfort to the Principal or not?
I don't want to be a totally obnoxious parent, but I don't think it's appropriate for a public school to be collecting new presents for kids for Christmas.