Now they're going after Halloween

[aprilgail]

We had Halloween parties (and Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter ones) when I went to elementary school.

They had the same parties when my kids went to elementary school, and they still do as I have grands in elementary school.

I see no reason to not have them. Just as I see no reason to change Columbus Day but that's a whole other topic.

We don't have easter parties at our school but they have Halloween parties (and a parade for all grades, K-3 get dressed up and 4th and 5th is a crazy hat competition), Holiday party in Dec and then the end of the year party. I do remember when my daughter was in kindergarten there was one girl in the class that was not allowed to attend any party and she had to sit in the office until the parties were over and she couldn't have any "party food", and when the kids would bring in treats to celebrate their birthdays she had to sit in the hallway outside the classroom until they were finished-her parents insisted on that. The next year they pulled her out and put her in a school more suited to her religion. She was also the same kid that told my daughter she was going to hell and the devil was going to eat her because she was going trick or treating on Halloween.

 

[mjkacmom]

For at least 50 years here (but I’m guessing much longer), the kids go to school in the morning, come home for lunch (elementary is open lunch), kids get dressed in costumes, come back to school for their class parties, and then the big 20 minute parade around the block, parents come to watch. Then, TOTing officially begins!

 

[sam_gordon]

How do you know the "majority" approved of a religious element being thrown into a public school curriculum? From the way you described it, the story sounds like either some school administrator was completely ignorant of what some external party planned to do with the "flight class", or worse was a rogue religious nut who was in cahoots with the "flight instructor". Short of more details and context, you are in no position to state that religion being improperly thrown into the session you described was approved by anyone, much less a majority.

Since I'm talking about the late 70's, I'm feeling pretty safe saying "the majority" was ok w/bible lessons during school time.

 

[Magpie]

We had Halloween parties (and Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter ones) when I went to elementary school.

They had the same parties when my kids went to elementary school, and they still do as I have grands in elementary school.

I see no reason to not have them. Just as I see no reason to change Columbus Day but that's a whole other topic.

And they still do. The only thing this school doesn't have anymore is a Costume Parade during school hours. The Halloween party is still going ahead after school, with costumes.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm torn on this one. I don't specifically like costumes at school, because a lot of them are not designed to be very durable, or are hard for kids to get in and out of by themselves. (Think 25 kindergarteners in line for the bathroom!)

But I am for school celebrations in general. Connecting school with things that are important to the kids does have it's benefits. Thinking of school as a positive, fun place actually goes a long way toward helping them learn.

(Though the few times when DS's elementary school "conveniently" scheduled teacher training on Halloween were actually his favorite. - He loved having the whole day off even more!)

 

[brooke789]

The schools around here have tied it into Red Ribbon Week or some literacy week for years (and kids were dressing up every day like spirit week). No Trick or Treating or Costume parade, although, this year, my children's school will have a pumpkin walk. Other schools have fall festivals, scarecrow contests, etc., but they really are fall themed, not just Halloween.
The rules for at least 10 years around here have been that the costume has to relate to a book character...no violating school dress code, no make-up, no props, appropriate shoes. Obviously, you can find a book with any popular character...some schools we had to actually bring a book to verify, some schools had each classroom with a book and kids had to dress accordingly (not in their regular Halloween costume)

ETA: Even as such, I know students who did not come to school on Halloween.

This is exactly what our school is doing. This week my 2nd graders had to bring in a pumpkin decorated as a book character to go along with a book report. Next week starts Red ribbon week, where they dress in theme all week ending with dressing as a book character on Friday. This is the first year it hasn't actually had them dressing up on Halloween, but close enough!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I'll ask again... so the majority should rule?

ETA: Other than this being a "tradition", do you have any other specific reason why a school NEEDS a Halloween celebration?

I really don't know why, but this reminds me of my second grade teacher.
She looked like snape. Except she was female. Even whacked kids on the back of their head with a paperback like snape did.
You may think you have a right to them because you've always had them. But There will be no silly stars handed out or stupid Halloween or Christmas parties in this class. You can save your parents $5 on crummy valentines cards too. The only rewards here are grades and the only parties are study parties.

 

[Skippy918]

Our school doesn’t do a Halloween celebration. They have Christmas parties and Valentines parties. Field day is this Friday.

 

[Colleen27]

You would be a very unpopular president here - we take our Friday night football serious! lol

Here too. The only time Halloween/trick or treating has ever been "scheduled" in our town was to move it OFF of 10/31 when Halloween fell on a Friday during the playoffs. The town announced that trick or treating would be on the 1st instead, since so few people would be home to hand out candy on the actual date!

As others have pointed out, many schools set aside dates for other non--curriculum events (such as field days), so the whole "eating up classroom time" narrative you and several people have touched on is with all due respect flawed. This change was not made to open more class time.

I didn't say they were. My point was they apparently don't see the need to re-label the holiday to protect the supposed extensive universe of children and parents who supposedly find Halloween to be offensive or not "inclusive" enough.

If said universe was anything more than a tiny, tiny, tiny minority, you can bet in a heartbeat Disney would immediately go down the "Fall Festival/Black and Orange/other-ridiculous-relabeling-of-Halloween" path. The fact they haven't done that brings things right back to where I said they were:

Tyranny of the minority.

The obvious difference here being that no one has to go to MNSSHP. No one will be penalized if they just don't show up. Schools have attendance policies, and even on holidays some work does get done, so if the kids from families who don't participate just stay home they have makeup work to deal with. They are, in essence, punished for not going along with the majority. And for what benefit? It doesn't add to the educational experience, and the social side of things can happen without the specific trappings of Halloween.

And to look at the Disney angle a little more closely... Disney during the day for the entirety of Sept and Oct is "fall festival/black & orange/harvest" themed, with lots of fall decor but nothing specifically Halloween related. If you want the Halloween experience, you have to seek it out (and pay for it). That's actually far closer to what these schools are moving to - a generic, non-offensive celebration during the day, paired with a separate after-hours event families have to seek out if they want a specific Halloween experience - than to what's been done in the past.

 

[wonder whisper]

I wouldn't say that, I hate Halloween but if there are drinks and parties, haunted tours and ghost stories I'm all in.

Are you sure? Having been to Salem in October and attending several of the costume balls, they come as close to being in the ballroom scene at the HM as you'll ever get. Ergo, Halloween on steroids.

 

[Hikergirl]

Are you sure? Having been to Salem in October and attending several of the costume balls, they come as close to being in the ballroom scene at the HM as you'll ever get. Ergo, Halloween on steroids.

Yes I'm sure, HM just happens to be my favorite ride in all of WDW

I'm just not a Halloween fan, I don't decorate my house, dread having to go find a costume for my kids (although they are older so that doesn't happen anymore). I hate having to buy candy and answering the door and having to pretend to love all the cute kids in their costumes.
Never have liked Halloween night, it is by far my least favorite holiday.
That doesn't mean I don't enjoy scary/horror/ghosts/witches/parties/haunted hayrides....

 

[Sleepy425]

Halloween has always been a big deal for me. When I was a kid, my mom would dress up with my neighbor and come lead the parade around the elementary school. All my friends were always so excited to see what my mom would dress as. I wore a costume to school every year, including high school. In high school they would even give you free lunch if you came in costume. It was a fun day, no matter what age you were. It was something we all looked forward to. I am glad they still do it for my kids (I briefly lived in a town that didn't let the kids dress up for Halloween. Glad I moved back to this one!). I am all for letting the kids enjoy themselves and having fun at school sometimes. It's bad enough even my preschoolers now have homework - let some things about school still be fun!
But, I am also the one who takes off half day (or sometimes the full day, depends how involved costumes are) on Halloween so I have time to dye my hair and get everything ready for everyone's costumes and trick or treaters. So take what I say with a grain of salt...

 

[PollyannaMom]

But, I am also the one who takes off half day (or sometimes the full day, depends how involved costumes are) on Halloween so I have time to dye my hair and get everything ready for everyone's costumes and trick or treaters. So take what I say with a grain of salt...

No judgment here! Back when DH and I were in our first apartment (near a school, so on a good trick-or-treat-route) we'd actually take the whole day off too. We used to have a "movie day" - go to the earliest one around 10:00, have lunch, see another, and then be ready with gobs of candy at the door by 4:00pm!

 

[L&Lfan]

I went to school in the '60s and '70s and I don't recall Halloween being that big a deal (in school). We did wear costumes in Kindergarten. And we might have had decorated cupcakes in the primary grades. But after that....zip. Halloween was celebrated within the family and neighborhood. Trick or treating for us stopped at high school. We either went to parties, hung around with friends, stayed home and helped give out candy or worked (I started working at Baskin-Robbins during 10th grade). And for us as Christians, it was the Vigil of a Holy Day.
I only started celebrating Halloween more in college and as a young adult. When I was in my 20s the clubs had fabulous Halloween dance parties.

 

[amberpi]

Our school doesn’t do a Halloween celebration. They have Christmas parties and Valentines parties. Field day is this Friday.

Ya'll seriously have Christmas parties? Do your kids go to a private school?

 

[luvsJack]

Ya'll seriously have Christmas parties? Do your kids go to a private school?

Public schools in a lot of places still have Christmas parties. Here they are complete with Christmas trees and Christmas presents. And they watch a Christmas movie after the party. They also learn about all kinds of Winter holidays and will have some recognition of any celebrated by children in the classroom.

Our kids have a Halloween party, a Thanksgiving feast, Christmas party and Valentines party. K-3 will have an Easter egg hunt.

 

[jrmasm]

Ya'll seriously have Christmas parties? Do your kids go to a private school?

It absolutely does not happen in public schools in my area. Hasn't in many, many years.

 

[L&Lfan]

Yes, I also was under the impression that Christmas parties were banned in US public schools.

 

[amberpi]

Public schools in a lot of places still have Christmas parties. Here they are complete with Christmas trees and Christmas presents. And they watch a Christmas movie after the party. They also learn about all kinds of Winter holidays and will have some recognition of any celebrated by children in the classroom.

Our kids have a Halloween party, a Thanksgiving feast, Christmas party and Valentines party. K-3 will have an Easter egg hunt.

My mom still teaches and they haven't had holiday specific stuff since about the time I was a kid. I'm super surprised.

 

[Suger Mag]

Yes, I also was under the impression that Christmas parties were banned in US public schools.

That is a common misconception, what IS prohibited is the advancement of a religion by an agent of the state (a public school teacher), not the teaching about the cultural significance etc.

What do the courts say?

The Supreme Court has ruled that public schools may not sponsor religious practices (Engel v. Vitale, 1962; Abington v. Schempp, 1963) but may teach about religion. While it has made no definitive ruling on religious holidays in the schools, the Supreme Court has let stand a lower federal court decision stating that recognition of holidays may be constitutional if the purpose is to provide secular instruction about religious traditions rather than to promote the particular religion involved (Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, 8th Cir., 1980).

So they cannot try to convert you, preach to you, force you to observe a specific practice,tell you their way is the only way etc...but they are allowed to have non-secular things like candy canes and trees

I am not a Christian, but I do celebrate Christmas, Winter Solstice or Yule... whatever you want to call it ...I personally like the ideas of sharing good will (presents),and wishing good things for my fellow humans.