Parents protest suburban school's Halloween policy

RC's Sweetheart

Ok... I was watching the 11 o'clock news tonight and saw this come across the ticker at the bottom of the screen.... WTF!!! I couldn't believe what I read... What is this world coming to when all it takes is one... foreigner to come in and change "OUR" holidays.... I know children don't understand.... and I think this is just ridiculous.... I, also, would have been one of those parents to keep my child at home in protest as well.... Thanksgiving would be called a "Fall Festival" and Christmas would be called a "Winter Festival"..... This is sooooo wrong!


Parents protest suburban school's Halloween policy

Some students stay home from school

By Ben Bradley

October 31, 2006 - Some parents are upset with a decision to replace a Halloween party at their children's suburban school with a fall festival. Some parents kept their children at home Tuesday to protest the change.

Halloween is a day many children look forward to all year so the decision to change Halloween festivities at an elementary school in South Elgin is not sitting well with some parents. At least 19 students stayed home from Fox Meadow School on Tuesday. Their parents called the school to say their kids would not be attending class to protest what some see as political correctness gone awry.
"I can't believe it's come down to this!" said Gloriane Brennan, parent.
Gloriane Brennan is one of a handful of parents who decided to keep her kids home from Fox Meadow Elementary for the day.
The new principal of the school decided not to hold the annual costume parade for kindergarten through third graders in large part because last year a few dozen parents asked that their kids not participate in Halloween celebrations.
"When a school event, policy, or decision effects one person or many, we feel it warrants taking a look at and taking appropriate actions so all kids can be involved in a celebration," said Kris Houser, Elgin District U46 Spokesperson.
The school's Parent Teacher Organization stepped-in and held a costume party at the school Friday night. More than 300 people attended. But this group says it wasn't the same as an "in-school" Halloween celebration.
"They've been having it for most of the years I've been there and now they're not and it makes me feel sad," said Michael Ribando, 3rd Grader.
"We can call it a 'Fall Party' but there's no reason to cancel it because a small group of people don't want their children to participate," said Alanna Ribando, Parent.
While creative costumes weren't in the lesson plan at Fox Meadow School, a block away, these parents believe their kids learned a lesson in standing-up for what they believe in.
"We told her in this country you have a way to protest -- you have a voice. This was our voice," said Kim Schmidt, Parent.
Fourteen of the district's 40 elementary schools do not have Halloween parties. The decision is up to each principal.
The school does plan on celebrating Thanksgiving. There may also be a party just before winter break -- but, as is the case in most schools, these days it would be called a holiday party.

Peggy

Actually it doesn't say anything about a foreigner. It's a group of parents saying they don't want their kids to participate in Halloween festivities, and another group protesting the school succumbing to the pressure.

Truthfully, I used to be one of the parents who didn't want my daughter to be involved in any Halloween stuff, since, as Christians, we denounced celebrations of halloween. So I do understand where they are coming from.

However, today, I believe that it should be up to each individual family to decide whether their children will participate, and the entire body of children should not be "punished", as it were, because of their beliefs.

RC's Sweetheart

The parents that kept their kids out of school was in protest of that they should keep the halloween costume parade.

I meant to add that in the news ticker on my news station here.. it said it was due to one arabic parent...

my parents were christian too but I wasn't raised in church... and I guess how I view halloween isn't as a pagan holiday.

But I do remember in elementary school..... we had a week long teaching about the piligrims and when it came to christmas... we always learned about how all the countries all over the world celebrated christmas and what they called santa claus or called him st nick.... but we were also taught about the jewish religious holiday as well... but we didn't change Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays...

Peggy

No way will I ever change Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays. CHRISTmas is what it is - the celebration of the birth of Christ. That'll never change for me.

In years past, I've always gone ALL out for Christmas, with decorations, music, get-togethers. My last hubby wasn't really a "christmas person" so I lacked the enthusiasm to do too much, plus my son was very young and wouldn't have known the difference anyway.

These past 3 years since my divorce, I haven't been all that excited about the holidays, didn't have anyone to share it with. I let my son go to his dads' since there wasn't really anything to do at home. Why should he be bored because I didn't want to be alone? So, I've been alone both holidays.

I'm hoping that these upcoming holidays will be different this year.

RC's Sweetheart

I did a bit more diggin and found the written story plus the news cast video of it as well... the story I original posted was from October last year.... this is link is the one that was on the news just last night...

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_271104049.html

If you watch the video it will also mention that they allow the Muslim children to pray during Ramadan {sp?} but said that is on the students lunch time and that's their time... but... ummm excuse me... didn't we remove prayer from school... and you'll also here one of the higher ups in the school district mention something about schools having to remain netural but yet they are allowing these students to pray... when our children can't???? what's wrong with that picture?

Peggy

yep yep I do agree with that. Blatant discrimination

Kent

And then some ask why the rage and hate and the groups ready to start a revolution ...... not that I am of course, but I have an ongoing supply of ammo

RC's Sweetheart

that's so true kent.... did anyone see where the story about the noose being hung in a police locker room in i think it was long island ny?.....

ya think they copy catted those kids from Jenna ??? *shakes my head*

Kent

Haven't heard of that but in a way it's all protected under freedom of speech. When the suckpreme court said it's freedom of speech to harm the Flag of my Nation because it's only fabric after all, to me that goes for a noose as well, afterall, it's just hemp turned into a rope turned into a noose, right? Not symbolic of a damn thing, just like the Flag is only cloth and not symbolic of a thing .... according to them

__________________

Peggy

"they" are a bunch of idiots, imho.