Posted on 10/28/2005 11:41:08 AM PDT by NavVet
NEWTON -- When students at Underwood Elementary School walk to their classrooms on Monday, there will be no witches, SpongeBob SquarePants, or Johnny Damons there to greet them.
No skeleton paintings or Frankenstein tattoos, either.
The school's principal said yesterday he acceded to the complaints of a handful of parents who said that because the school's traditional Halloween celebrations offended their religious beliefs, they would not send their children to school if the revelry continued this year.
''Not everyone is going to agree with the decision, and I really understand that," said principal David Castelline, , who last year grew a beard and dressed up as Johnny Damon. ''But I felt the goal was really important to make it a respectful and open and welcoming place for all members of our community."
Castelline, who met yesterday with the Parent Teacher Organization to explain his decision, said three teachers told him they had children in their classes who were not going to come to school if the Halloween celebration was held. The celebration, which has been going on for at least 14 years, involves teachers dressing up and lining the hallways and children making Halloween-related arts and crafts.
''When I hear that kids won't come to school because of what we're doing on Halloween, I have a problem with that," Castelline said.
Of nearly a dozen parents interviewed outside the school yesterday, none supported the decision to cancel the celebration. Several parents said they are considering staging a protest by donning costumes on Monday and standing in front of the school.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
So let them stay home.
What a maroon!
Most school officials are wimps and cowards. On the other hand, if a handful of hyper-sensitive God-haters can cancel Christmas parties at school, I suppose it's poetic justice that Satan's favorite holiday gets banned too.
No piggy banks - they offend me.
No Christmas decorations - they offend me.
No Halloween decorations - they offend me.
No girly pictures - they offend me.
No fur, no red meat, no smoking, no jokes, no fun of any kind.
People who get offended offend me.
Public Schools are starting to offend me.
If the teachers really wanted more time for teaching, they would cancel the "in-service" days during the school year, which adds up to tremendous babysitting costs for working parents, and take those classes in the summer, when they are working full-time, second summer jobs.
I have a better idea: give ALL the kids the day off so they can do their trick or treating during DAYLIGHT hours.
It's a Christian holiday,
All Hallow's Eve (with pagan roots, just like Christmas!)
Halloween is the sacred eve of All Saints Day.....
It has no pagan roots....it's a christian holiday....
I bought a of tube of fake blood yesterday and I highly recommend it. It not only has a sticky feel to it, it does a good job of thickening which simulates coagulation.
The other parents should call the school and say they will keep their kids home if there is no Halloween Party.
This, BTW, is the same school system where parents and the media were thrown out of a high-school assembly promoting homosexuality. The parents were told they had no right to know who was speaking to their children or what they were saying.
"...Satan's favorite holiday gets banned too."
I'd imagine that his favorite holiday would likely be New Years: lots of parties, lots of booze - all sorts of potential for trouble. In any case, Christmas, Easter and Halloween all have their roots in pre-Christian pagan traditions. Christmas tree - pagan. Easter eggs - pagan. Miseltoe - pagan. Pumpkins - pagan. Well, the kids whose parents forced the school to cancel Halloween are probably going to get beat up during recess - thanks Mom and Dad.
It is actually of catholic origins. All Hollows Eve, or All Saints Eve.
The origins of trick or treating is also of christian origin. Christians would walk from town to town begging for "soul cakes" and the more soul cakes they received the more prayers they promised to say for the givers dead relatives to speed their passage from limbo to heaven.
But then I don't want to bother you with facts.
I lived in Newton for the first 33 years of my life.I've lived in or very near to Newton all my life.
Today,Newton is one of the very richest and most left wing cities in the country.Hillary and her ilk would be very,very comfortable,in every way,living in Newton.
In terms of respect for this nation,its traditions and sensibilities,Newton is *truly* a lost cause.
"The school's principal said yesterday he acceded to the complaints of a handful of parents who said that because the school's traditional Halloween celebrations offended their religious beliefs, they would not send their children to school if the revelry continued this year."
Self bump. Bumpty bump.
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