The happiest day in my
daughter's life so far was last Halloween.canada
goose parka Dressed like Snow White, she flounced around in her poofy yellow
skirt all the way to preschool where she, Belle, Batman and the other kids
screamed in pure delight at each other.
There was one girl, I remembered, who wasn't in costume.
Whether her parents forgot, don't celebrate Halloween, or didn't have the money or the time to put a costume together, I don't know. But she just looked sad and out-of-sorts as she walked around one end of the playroom by herself, while the girls in their princess dresses twirled around and fell laughing to the ground.moncler coats She is in the background of one of my pictures from that day, her eyes downcast and her hand on the back of her head, walking just a few feet behind my curtseying daughter.
So when Principal Brian Anderson talks about the feeling of exclusion that Halloween dress-up can cause for some kids, I literally have a picture of it.
“It is very sad watching a kid come to school without a costume when everybody else does,” said Anderson, principal of Southeast Portland's Buckman Elementary, which in 2010 made the controversial decision to prohibit Halloween costumes or parties at school. The reasons included the distraction from studies, exclusion or offense to religious or cultural groups that do not celebrate Halloween, and that teachers may not have the time or parent support to plan activities for Halloween.
The decision did not go over well with many parents, judging from comments such as this one on a local blog that said the ban “spit in the face of our common cultural bonds.”
But like it or not, many schools have disallowed Halloween celebrations in recent years — and others are considering whether to follow suit.
The move raises questions about traditional rites of childhood versus a goal of equity, and whether schools are taking political correctness to an extreme versus taking a sensitive approach. Here are some thoughts from area principals and school district representatives on Halloween celebrations at school.
Maplewood Elementary in Southwest Portland has had a costume parade for years. Lots of years.
So when Annie Tabshy took over as principal in 2011,SKY Cycling she decided to keep it — at least, for now.
“You allow traditions to continue so you can see what they are and how they work,” she said, adding that the school will again hold its costume parade this Halloween, at the end of the school day.
But she plans to talk over the next year with parents, teachers and staff about whether the school should change its policy. Like several other principals, she cites concerns over the distraction that Halloween celebrations create as well as the time taken away from schooling.
She also questioned whether celebrating Halloween — which families may not want or be able to participate in — conflicts with schools' focus on equity and exclusion.
Buckman's no-Halloween stance is something most Rieke Elementary teachers would likely support at the Southwest Portland school, said principal Andrea Porter-Lopez.Garmin Cycling Rieke has not allowed costumes at school for years, but teachers and parent volunteers can still choose to have a class party if they choose, she said, such as carnival-type activities or other celebrations.
“We try to limit the distraction,” she said, of Halloween celebrations. “There's not enough time in the day to teach what we're supposed to teach.”
Some parents exert a lot of pressure to have holiday-type celebrations at the school, she said, adding that she wished “holidays were celebrated in the context of family.”
You won't find scads of candy at the school, however. Rieke has its own nutrition initiative that requires a balance between nutritious and high-sugar options.
Like Portland Public Schools, David Douglas School District does not have a blanket policy regarding Halloween celebrations, said spokesman Dan McCue. But most schools have done away with in-school parties and costumes, opting instead to focus students' attention on spirit days or themed celebrations that take place after school hours.
“Dress up for Halloween is a family thing,” McCue said. “When you're at school, you're at school.”
Still, some schools hold fast to tradition.
At Alameda Elementary in Northeast Portland, students have regular classes until about 1:15 p.m., when they are allowed to get into costume, said principal Raddy Lurie. Around 1:45 p.m., students march in a parade around the school with families and parents watching. Students then return to their classrooms, where they can have in healthy snacks.
There are restrictions on some costumes — for instance, no masks, no simulated weapons and no blood-and-guts makeup.
Kids who don't celebrate Halloween are allowed to play games or read in the library with a school counselor. Typically, there are about five or six students who will opt out, he said.
It's not fair for students to be forced to celebrate something they don't believe, he said. But at the same time, it's not fair to block others from participating in celebrating.
“It kind of goes to our global communication with our kids and families that the world's a diverse place and there are different things that we believe and different things we need to be respectful of.”
There was one girl, I remembered, who wasn't in costume.
Whether her parents forgot, don't celebrate Halloween, or didn't have the money or the time to put a costume together, I don't know. But she just looked sad and out-of-sorts as she walked around one end of the playroom by herself, while the girls in their princess dresses twirled around and fell laughing to the ground.moncler coats She is in the background of one of my pictures from that day, her eyes downcast and her hand on the back of her head, walking just a few feet behind my curtseying daughter.
So when Principal Brian Anderson talks about the feeling of exclusion that Halloween dress-up can cause for some kids, I literally have a picture of it.
“It is very sad watching a kid come to school without a costume when everybody else does,” said Anderson, principal of Southeast Portland's Buckman Elementary, which in 2010 made the controversial decision to prohibit Halloween costumes or parties at school. The reasons included the distraction from studies, exclusion or offense to religious or cultural groups that do not celebrate Halloween, and that teachers may not have the time or parent support to plan activities for Halloween.
The decision did not go over well with many parents, judging from comments such as this one on a local blog that said the ban “spit in the face of our common cultural bonds.”
But like it or not, many schools have disallowed Halloween celebrations in recent years — and others are considering whether to follow suit.
The move raises questions about traditional rites of childhood versus a goal of equity, and whether schools are taking political correctness to an extreme versus taking a sensitive approach. Here are some thoughts from area principals and school district representatives on Halloween celebrations at school.
Maplewood Elementary in Southwest Portland has had a costume parade for years. Lots of years.
So when Annie Tabshy took over as principal in 2011,SKY Cycling she decided to keep it — at least, for now.
“You allow traditions to continue so you can see what they are and how they work,” she said, adding that the school will again hold its costume parade this Halloween, at the end of the school day.
But she plans to talk over the next year with parents, teachers and staff about whether the school should change its policy. Like several other principals, she cites concerns over the distraction that Halloween celebrations create as well as the time taken away from schooling.
She also questioned whether celebrating Halloween — which families may not want or be able to participate in — conflicts with schools' focus on equity and exclusion.
Buckman's no-Halloween stance is something most Rieke Elementary teachers would likely support at the Southwest Portland school, said principal Andrea Porter-Lopez.Garmin Cycling Rieke has not allowed costumes at school for years, but teachers and parent volunteers can still choose to have a class party if they choose, she said, such as carnival-type activities or other celebrations.
“We try to limit the distraction,” she said, of Halloween celebrations. “There's not enough time in the day to teach what we're supposed to teach.”
Some parents exert a lot of pressure to have holiday-type celebrations at the school, she said, adding that she wished “holidays were celebrated in the context of family.”
You won't find scads of candy at the school, however. Rieke has its own nutrition initiative that requires a balance between nutritious and high-sugar options.
Like Portland Public Schools, David Douglas School District does not have a blanket policy regarding Halloween celebrations, said spokesman Dan McCue. But most schools have done away with in-school parties and costumes, opting instead to focus students' attention on spirit days or themed celebrations that take place after school hours.
“Dress up for Halloween is a family thing,” McCue said. “When you're at school, you're at school.”
Still, some schools hold fast to tradition.
At Alameda Elementary in Northeast Portland, students have regular classes until about 1:15 p.m., when they are allowed to get into costume, said principal Raddy Lurie. Around 1:45 p.m., students march in a parade around the school with families and parents watching. Students then return to their classrooms, where they can have in healthy snacks.
There are restrictions on some costumes — for instance, no masks, no simulated weapons and no blood-and-guts makeup.
Kids who don't celebrate Halloween are allowed to play games or read in the library with a school counselor. Typically, there are about five or six students who will opt out, he said.
It's not fair for students to be forced to celebrate something they don't believe, he said. But at the same time, it's not fair to block others from participating in celebrating.
“It kind of goes to our global communication with our kids and families that the world's a diverse place and there are different things that we believe and different things we need to be respectful of.”
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