Anonymous
12/09/2025 12:35
Subject: Elf in the shelf
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is wild what is "normal" in other parts of the country, having grown up on the west coast and raising children in FCPS. Friends show pictures of decorating a class christmas tree, santa coming to the school christmas party, writing assignments where they write a letter to santa.
It's not normal here, OP. A good portion of students don't celebrate christmas. Please keep your family christmas traditions at home and let school festivities be things that are accessible to students of all backgrounds.
I mean, are your friends at private schools? We're at a religious private here in Fairfax County. My kids love setting up the Christmas decorations at school - because everyone else is doing it too. When we were in FCPS the celebrations were always - correctly - very generically about winter. Sometimes the teachers would set up a time where kids of all backgrounds could share holiday traditions during the year, which everyone enjoyed.
Nope. Public schools in Indiana, Arkansas, and Ohio.
Yes, well, I was the only non-Christian and only minority in my midwestern town, so this is no surprise. My children, however, are in a school that is probably 50% non-Christian. Why should OP be allowed to decorate the classroom for a holiday that half of the class doesn't celebrate?
Oh, I think you've misunderstood. I'm completely on the side of "Christmas has no business in public school in any form" (unless they are doing a study of winter holidays around the world or something similarly educational). I'm just kind of startled when I learn that other parts of the country are so dramatically different in their implementation of winter festivities.
Anonymous
12/09/2025 11:57
Subject: Elf in the shelf
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It is wild what is "normal" in other parts of the country, having grown up on the west coast and raising children in FCPS. Friends show pictures of decorating a class christmas tree, santa coming to the school christmas party, writing assignments where they write a letter to santa.
It's not normal here, OP. A good portion of students don't celebrate christmas. Please keep your family christmas traditions at home and let school festivities be things that are accessible to students of all backgrounds.
I mean, are your friends at private schools? We're at a religious private here in Fairfax County. My kids love setting up the Christmas decorations at school - because everyone else is doing it too. When we were in FCPS the celebrations were always - correctly - very generically about winter. Sometimes the teachers would set up a time where kids of all backgrounds could share holiday traditions during the year, which everyone enjoyed.
Nope. Public schools in Indiana, Arkansas, and Ohio.
I went to public schools in Ohio. The district has “Christmas Break” on the calendar and they post their ES classes’ Christmas tree decorating contest entries on social media. HS classes have Christmas door decorating contests.
Not saying we should do that here, just that it is different.
Must be nice. No days off for Eid or Diwali either.