He said the teachers think the classroom gatherings take away valuable instructional time.
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Absolutely. Time is valuable when instructing grade-schoolers how to use condoms and embrace homosexuality. |
Posted on 09/09/2004 5:09:50 AM PDT by Puppage
GROVEPORT, Ohio -- Dressing up in Halloween costumes in grade school and having punch and cookies used to be one of the most anticipated days of the school year. Now, students at one elementary school in Ohio won't have those memories, WCMH-TV reported.
Administrators sent a letter home with students Thursday alerting parents that there will no longer be Halloween, Christmas or Valentine's Day parties.
"Since they are canceling these activities, it's kind of like they are taking tradition out of school," said Chris Ayers, a parent.
Principal William Sternberg said about 15 percent of the student population doesn't participate in the parties because of personal beliefs. He said the teachers think the classroom gatherings take away valuable instructional time.
"Our teachers came together to make sure our test scores come up this year, and this is what they came up with," Sternberg said.
He stressed there will be some celebrations during the academic year, but the parties will be based on academics instead of holidays, Flannigan reported.
"Second grade does ancient Greece. We might do a party with ancient Greece," he said. "Those parties further enhance the lessons learned during those sections."
Leaders originally suggested eliminating individual birthday parties. Now there will be one big birthday bash.
Despite the birthday celebrations, some parents fear their children will miss something as a result of the new policy.
"He needs to look at the fact that he's leaving out a very important American concept from the children's lives and their history," Ayers said.
Administrators said they're still revising the new policy and changes could be made.
Some parents plan to circulate a petition to bring the holiday parties back.
So, that's 85% that DO.
Once again the MINORITY dictating to the MAJORITY.
Those holidays are very important in American culture. Thank goodness I went to catholic school while nuns were still teaching.
Wow, some solution to test score problems. These teachers are so smart, or are they? Maybe the score problem is becoming more apparent here.
Kwanzaa?
Close the public schools, get a better life started.
But of course....with a little Rhamadan thrown in for flavor.
Ditto. Those 85% parents failed to realize they run the school, not the teachers. Parents vote in so can vote out school board members who hire those same teachers and principal.
You think the War in Faluija is hot...the culture war in this country is continuing to escalate. Go to the lamest government building you can find...that's what they want to make of your social life, your thoughts, your opinions. When our childrens kids can't even remember what American life was like they wont bother defending it. Scares the heck out of me.
Groveport (Columbus suburb) has been a very depressed school district. For years, residents have denied the school district new funding. Their teachers are the lowest paid in Central Ohio.
Welcome to communism! Vote for Kerry..
He said the teachers think the classroom gatherings take away valuable instructional time.
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Absolutely. Time is valuable when instructing grade-schoolers how to use condoms and embrace homosexuality. |
The stated reason is the need to raise test scores. Must be the test scores that came out of the No Child Left Behind Act.
It's Bush's Fault!!!!
Teachers are not allowed to call a school party a party here anymore. They're now a "celebration".
What's the difference?
School plays were the outlet for holidays. You could participate or be part of the audience. School was for learning the basics.
Birthdays were family and friends AT HOME, not a school event. The schools are filled with JUNK time killers. Get back to basics.
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I don't think the NEA/AFT would like that very much.
bump
Doesn't look like it needs freeping *lol*
TO-ga! TO-ga! TO-ga! :^)
LOL good back to kollage idea ;-)
The answer is not for conservatives to wrest control of public schools from liberals so they can ram their beliefs down the throats of liberals' children. Rather, private schools and homeschooling should be considered where feasible. The goal should be the separation of school and state.
Exactly. Why would the school district waste time and money to exclude the term "party" from school lexicon?
Maybe it's an insurance issue?
Well, I hardly think birthday & Halloween parties can be seen as "ramming conservative beliefs down the throats of liberals".
It's a birthday party for Gods sake. When did birthdays become a conservative cause?
Let children be children. Their innocence will be taken soon enough without the help of political ideologies...of EITHER side.
On the other hand, doesn't the government run enough of our lives? Do they really need to run our kids parties, too?
They eliminated all the parties here -- I think it was Jehovah Witnesses who wanted Christmas parties gone and I'm not sure who wanted Halloween ended. There seems to be fewer movies being shown too -- which is fine with me.
It may be. I can't imagine any other reason.
Maybe the 85% that would have celebrated should stay home on the day they normally would have had their festivities.
Gotta make sure we don't hurt the self-esteem of that 15%, yes sir.....
Have the 15% minority go to the cafeteria and do whatever *their beliefs* dictate. Let the 85% majority have their parties and celebrations.
I'm so glad I went to grade school, high school and college in the 50s and 60s, but I'm also sad that kids today are being deprived of some of life's real pleasures.
Damned PC crap! Wake-up America, and get rid of this liberal garbage!!
I need a Chill Pill...
Probably not popular here, but I agree with this. Too many parties at school.. Individual birthday parties!?!?!? When do they have time to study?
Parents and families can still have their own birthday and holiday parties. Nothing is stopping them. Schools need to get back to teaching the kids, not being day care.
Ok...well what about Halloween, or Thanksgiving?
I agree with this.
I wouldn't Ramadan or that African Christman Celebration pushed on my kids, and those practioners could rightfully demand equal time.
As a Christian myself, I don't recognize Easter with the bunny, or Halloween with the ghouls.
Are the administrators or the parents paying the bills?
Yeah, but I'll bet they have a lighted football stadium. It's Ohio, afterall, and we all know that public schools are farm teams for the Buckeyes.
If, for example, the children of observant Jewish families went to schools associated with their faith, they could recognize their holidays: Yom Kippur, Passover, etc., without having the potential conflict of celebrating holidays like Christmas that may conflict with the faith of their families. It is time that "one size fits all" doesn't work, and perhaps never did work.
Is it possible other groups were demanding equal time for their celebrations? Rather than add those holiday celebrations, maybe the school opted to do away with all of them. If that's the case, I don't blame them.
Well, they've already taken away recess in many schools. I guess the kids could do without lunch. They're too fat anyway. Yeah, that's the excuse the school adminstration could use.
I would hate to be a kid today.
I don't think the schools should have parties for these occasions. They can recognize them and discuss why they exist in teaching situations, but I think partying is not what school is for.
Schools need to get back to their core function. That is teaching and learning. I am so glad to not have children in school anymore. And I wish I could have afforded private school when I did.
Do away with them all but Mayday.
Per the article...that "substantial" amounts to 15%. That leaves 85% who do NOT oppose. Explain to me why the minority overrules the majority?
You have the right to pursue happiness...you do NOT have the right, NOT to be offended.
Time for a little payback, right?
I am not sure that Groveport has a lighted stadium. Groveport is not a farming community, as it is fringe Columbus and a low income community that does not appear to place too much importance on education.
Can we just blow them all up please? No schools at all is preferable to the status quo.
No Halloween?
Boy, there are going to be some pissed off Wiccans casting spells on that school principal! ;-)
Raising those scores is the only thing that's important today. People's jobs depend on it.
"Our teachers came together to make sure our test scores come up this year, and this is what they came up with," Sternberg said...."
Attention students: The holiday parties will resume when morale improves! No "A", no play!
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