Anonymous
02/05/2012 17:58
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
ridiculous
Why not just turn schools into police states?
It's a day to exchange cards and candy. How is this harmful?
Why not just turn schools into police states?
It's a day to exchange cards and candy. How is this harmful?
Anonymous
02/05/2012 15:36
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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?
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.
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?
Anonymous
02/04/2012 00:26
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
The let them stay home.
If they do, it wrecks our attendance numbers. For adequate yearly progress, we need something like 92% attendance rate for the year. If too many kids stay home for all the holidays and parties, we won't make AYP.
And the Jehovah's Witnesses will want their kids staying home to be an excused absence, as the children's presence in school would mean that they are participating in the celebration (which violates their religious beliefs). Since the celebrations aren't part of the curriculum, it really isn't fair to say that the kids have to come to school and have to sit in the library until the parties are over. So if you schools change the celebrations to something that IS part of the curriculum, then the JW can't complain as much (or their complaints woudln't hold up in a lawsuit).
Anonymous
02/04/2012 00:21
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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.
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?
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.
Anonymous
02/03/2012 14:45
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote: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.
Michael Jackson's kids are being raised as Jehovah's Witnesses... 8)
Anonymous
02/03/2012 14:39
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote: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.
The let them stay home.
Anonymous
02/03/2012 14:05
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote: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.
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?
Anonymous
01/31/2012 21:32
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
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.
Anonymous
01/31/2012 19:37
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Well, I just don't know if this is an MCPS thing or something from our acting principal. She's changing a bunch of things in an annoying way.
Although I can't imagine this really being the deciding factor in public vs private. $30K so they can have a Valentine's party? Puh - lease.
Certainly not THE deciding factor, but one of many factors. It's ridiculous to think that someone (or at least we) would spend $30K so their kids could have a Valentine's Day Party. I'm all about being PC, but the mindset behind changes like this really bothers me and this is one of many reasons that I think it's worth it for this family to go private.
Anonymous
01/31/2012 17:40
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:well, since Valentine's Day is for St. Valentine, I could see there being a problem. Although, I would probably file it under "get over it." Halloween and Valentine's are the only holidays they're allowed to talk about, it seems.
Friendship cards, I get, but come on...
Seriously? I dare you to find the religous aspects of Valentine's day.
Valentine's day was introduced by a pope in about 500AD to humor Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni - two saints who were martyred for their faith. In the 14th century the idea of romance was introduced and few people were really celebrating the Valentine saints and it morphed into the Hallmark holiday it is today. Its origins were religious. I am not Catholic but to the best of my knowledge Catholics don't celebrate it as a religious holiday anymore.
I'm the first poster--thank you for replying so eloquently before I could. I didn't say I AGREED that the name should be changed, I was simply saying that there is a religious basis to the holiday, and for some people, that means it has to be out. Except, you know, I spelled everything correctly.
My kid's school in MCPS has always had Halloween and Valentine's Day (no Fall Festival, etc), but his 1st grade teacher last year brought the focus on friendship and did a lot of friendship activities that day, and encouraged parents to talk about being a good friend, etc., with the kids as part of the holiday. and I liked that a lot--instead of kids saying "EW! you gave so-and-so a card, ha ha you have a girlfriend now!" it was about "loving" your friends as friends.
Anonymous
01/31/2012 15:57
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:well, since Valentine's Day is for St. Valentine, I could see there being a problem. Although, I would probably file it under "get over it." Halloween and Valentine's are the only holidays they're allowed to talk about, it seems.
Friendship cards, I get, but come on...
What's next? Will the PC thought police try to change the names of St. Louis and St. Paul??! About what about San Francisc (in case some people who understand Spanish might take offense).
On the subject of "get over it," while I am not a Reagan fan, every so often I appreciate one of the Gipper's little sayings. For example: "As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in the public schools." If you think about it, he ws saying to both the Left and the Right to just "get over it."
Anonymous
01/31/2012 15:54
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:well, since Valentine's Day is for St. Valentine, I could see there being a problem. Although, I would probably file it under "get over it." Halloween and Valentine's are the only holidays they're allowed to talk about, it seems.
Friendship cards, I get, but come on...
Seriously? I dare you to find the religous aspects of Valentine's day.
Valentine's day was introduced by a pope in about 500AD to humor Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni - two saints who were martyred for their faith. In the 14th century the idea of romance was introduced and few people were really celebrating the Valentine saints and it morphed into the Hallmark holiday it is today. Its origins were religious. I am not Catholic but to the best of my knowledge Catholics don't celebrate it as a religious holiday anymore.
Anonymous
01/31/2012 15:42
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Well, I just don't know if this is an MCPS thing or something from our acting principal. She's changing a bunch of things in an annoying way.
Although I can't imagine this really being the deciding factor in public vs private. $30K so they can have a Valentine's party? Puh - lease.
So I'm curious, what else is your acting principal changing?
Anonymous
01/31/2012 13:24
Subject: Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
That's crazy.
Anonymous
01/31/2012 13:07
Subject: Re:Has your elementary school changed the name of its valentine party?
Anonymous wrote:Red Letter Group Card Day, as we call it in the commie filled public schools.
LOL!