why no halloween costumes at school

Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. I'm normally at the head of the inclusivity parade but this is ridiculous. Online Chatter: Banning Halloween in School Amid increasing pressure from a variety of sources, public schools across the country are taking steps to eliminate traditional Halloween celebrations.From the Pacific Northwest to the Mid-Atlantic, students are being told not to dress up in costumes and informed that parades and candy exchanges will no longer happen. As holiday events across the â¦ Suggestions of "laziness" on the part of teachers were quickly shut down by other posters pointing out the challenges teachers face with increasing class sizes and curriculum requirements. I also sought an expert opinion on the topic, posing the question to Ben: "Hey Magoo, there's a school in town that has decided not to let kids wear costumes on Halloween. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, Raise the kind of person you'd like to know, a subject in and of itself that I have covered in detail on my blog. The Halloween staples were thought to be too scary for some children, so administrators at an unidentified school sent a letter to parents ahead of the holiday. As for the reasons for cancelling Halloween, public schools generally give at least one of the following explanations for eliminating Halloween from the school calendar: Halloween celebrations are religious observances and, if held at a public school, violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment; or; Students with religious objections will not participate in Halloween celebrations or â¦ The court, however, was at a loss to figure out what part about wearing sagging pants was speech protected by the First Amendment. It is a great debate: should students be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school? 1. *You may wish to send a change of clothes for your child. As for the reasons for cancelling Halloween, public schools generally give at least one of the following explanations for eliminating Halloween from the school calendar: The first reason is specious, given how secularized Halloween has become—no one is suggesting we’re celebrating All Saints’ Day or going back to celebrating the pagan tradition of Samhain, with divination rituals, a ring of stones, and the summoning of fairies. None of the reasons mentioned in the original post had anything to with religion, for one, so that's not even under discussion. ", "Oh, okay. ", "What? Of the three explanations schools use to do away with Halloween, the third one rests most solidly on legal grounds. From the 1980s and beyond, TV characters, celebrities and famous singers are among the costumes worn at Halloween. Oh, wait -- there was that time when I wore my knight costume -- you know, when I was still at Molly's school -- and I had my sword and shield but we weren't allowed to have weapons at school so I put them in my cubby. Students are invited to come to school in costume or dressed in orange and black on October 31. While the court recognized that Dreaming Bear’s choice of clothing was expressive conduct entitled to First Amendment protection, the court ruled that the school had a legitimate and greater interest in maintaining “ultimate control over the content and orderly progression of the [graduation] proceedings.”, Ultimately, I have serious doubts that a public school kindergartener has a constitutional right to show up at school dressed as a medieval knight, even if he leaves his foam sword behind as a nod to the school’s weapons policy. In her post she commented on each of the reasons given with simple solutions: Solution to #1: Ask parents to make sure costume is easy and requires no make up. And that explanation generally rests—at least for Halloween costumes, student clothing, or student grooming standards in general—on pretty solid legal and constitutional grounds. Costumes are hot and uncomfortable causing irritation and often crying. 3. Many costumes are dangerous on the playground and impedes moving comfortably and or are not conducive to the learning environment. Filed Under: Lawyer, Legal Crap My Kids Ask Me Tagged With: Featured, Student Rights, dial-back Halloween celebrations in public schools, Color Us Surprised: Scalia Is The Most Sarcastic Supreme Court Justice, Throw Another Bagel and You’re Toast, Partner, Halloween celebrations are religious observances and, if held at a public school, violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment; or, Students with religious objections will not participate in Halloween celebrations or may be offended by them, thus either staying home or feeling left out or ostracized. Too many upset students when costumes become torn, lost or parts forgotten at school. For instance, you can’t wear a t-shirt with “Drugs Suck” on it (the Drugs Suck case). This year, to uphold school health and safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the board has asked students not to come to school with non-essential items. Nowadays, it is common practice to wear any kind of costume for the Halloween celebrations, and thousands of people dress as characters or objects which are in no way related to the traditions Samhain festival. Other posters made some very astute observations about the effects of banning costumes and the benefits of school-sanctioned Halloween fun. So long as the school allows them to opt out (and even this may not be constitutionally required), things are good. Due to increase in supervision duties, teachers do not have the time to dress or apply make up for up to 30 students in their classrooms. Summary: I would send my kids in costume anyway and raise holy hell if the school tried to make something of it. Sometimes I just yell it out randomly at people on the street! So...uh...how about "Parents, please be aware that teachers will not be able to apply facepaint and plan accordingly.". files. As these things inevitably do, the discussion quickly devolved into the usual "they" can't force "us" to give up "our" cultural traditions/why-come-to-our-country-if-you-don't-want-to-follow-our-traditions (I'm pretty sure that's what the Native Americans said)/this-is-just-political-correctness gone-mad rhetoric... Ah yes..."Nobody take offense or anything, but I'm just going to blame religion for a decision that didn't actually involve religion. Itâs hard to believe that this frenzy is solely due to Halloween costumes but rather about a disagreement about how much say parents should have in the running of the schoolâ¦ I said the school would tell him to take it off and, if he didn’t, we’d get a call and he may get sent home. Here’s the simple answer: because that’s what your school said. But, Max asked, doesn’t Augie have the freedom to express his personality at school through whatever he wants to wear? We also have an increase in number of students who cannot be photographed whom we have an obligation to protect so this can be difficult to monitor. After all, they are allowed to dress up for Spirit Week, so why not Halloween? Just wear a black armband with “I ♥ Goblins (Keep Halloween)” on it as a protest over the school’s elimination of your favorite holiday. We're so concerned about offending people with out institutionalized racism and Judeochristiancentric statutory holidays that we are letting our cherished traditions like celebrating the Gaelic feis of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and the turn of the seasons to wintertide, with the pagan traditions of mumming and guising and rest assured WE WON'T GIVE UP OUR CULTURAL APPROPRIATION WITHOUT A FIGHT.". With that, many parents had hoped that this year would bring some positive change, such as the dissolving of the much-hated rule: "No Halloween costumes at school". The majority of the conversation centered around the issue of parents/caregivers not being given a chance to try to problem-solve these issues, which most agree could have been done easily. Honestly, it is currently a commercial, secular day of the year. Evanston/Skokie School District 65 posted a message to parents online, saying because of their desire to be equitable and inclusive to all families, Halloween celebrations in â¦ 7. student is constitutionally protected speech.”. Sadly, that much anticipated and welcomed change has yet to be announced. NO PICTURES PLEASE; we are all grown up we know how to follow rules. 6. Sure, but just watch what you wear and what your message is. 2. Halloween costumes â¦ And it's not just public schools avoiding entanglement issues. 2. Solution to #5: Why would a parent let their child wear something dangerous, that's just stupid. Scarier costumes. She had posted a video of her son on my friendâs Facebook comment. "But Mrs. So-and-so, I just felt like wearing my overalls today!" Subject: No Halloween costumes at schools/departments Please remember, it is a district practice to not have students or staff wear Halloween costumes to school or departments. It literally made me smile ear to ear and I knew the interwebs NEEDED to see this! An email from Principal Jason Farrel of North Country Elementary School in Antelope states that classrooms will no longer have Halloween parties, the school will not have a Halloween â¦ - Mendham-Chester, NJ - Chester, NJ Ophthalmologist Niki Silverstein, MD talks about why masks can be a potential problem this Halloween. Students at Hillcrest Elementary School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, will not be permitted to wear their Halloween costume to the schoolâs fall festival on October 31, and are instead encouraged to wear their favorite hat. What does that even mean? I don't know... Friday, I guess. Although there are many more great Halloween costume ideas, these are some quick and easy, school-appropriate costumes to hopefully give you inspiration on what you want to dress up for this October 31st. A Massachusetts elementary school principal has lashed out against traditional American holidays, banning costumes in school for Halloween and telling teachers to "be careful" about celebrating Thanksgiving, the Boston Herald reports. No witches, vampires, or anything of the sort. Given the descriptive trajectory of legal cases dealing with public school students’ First Amendment rights—from Tinker to BONG HiTS 4 JESUS to Boobies—what’s an activist kindergartener to do if he’s jonesing to buck the system by wearing a medieval knight costume to school? Thereâs no one explanation for how Halloween costumes originated. No, Halloween has instead become a profitable way of selling leftover Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbars, and all the other candy that doesn’t sell during the rest of the year. Or, take the case of Aloysius Dreaming Bear, a young Lakota man who wanted to wear traditional Lakota clothing at his high school graduation, rather than the school’s required cap and gown. If costumes are prohibited, my advice is this: don’t do it. Plan to wear costumes that are comfortable as they will be worn all day. They started out allowing "nice" costumes. There are restrictions on some costumes â for instance, no masks, no simulated weapons and no blood-and-guts makeup. If they don't want to organize a halloween parade, that's one thing. That's because a number of elementary schools aren't letting students wear Halloween costumes to school events for reasons of inclusion. The standard rules for "appropriate dress" that (I assume) everyone is familiar with would apply just like any other day (a subject in and of itself that I have covered in detail on my blog, so I won't bore you with it here!). To be honest, the whole student free speech issue is a bit of a mess, with varying standards being used, depending on the message the student is making and how that message is being conveyed. 13 Reasons Why surrounds an incredibly serious subject matter that shouldn't be taken lightly and 13 Reasons Why Halloween costumes should ... Baker, a high school â¦ Senior Beatrice Pocher said, âhalloween costumes should not be worn in school because it can break the school dress code and it may make some students feel uncomfortable or distracted.â Not only can costumes be inappropriate and gorey, but they can make students and teachers feel offended. ", This post originally appeared at www.picklesINK.com. The school quickly banned the armbands (but didn’t ban political buttons) suspended the students, and set the stage for a Supreme Court decision. Creative Halloween Costumes that donât break the bank. Halloween is going to feel less spooky at some elementary schools this year as school officials cancel Halloween festivities and ban kids from wearing costumes on school grounds. Go to the office!" An increasing number of schools are banning Halloween parties and costumes for religious reasons. Robinson still remembers a first-grader who wore a â¦ Why Can't My Child Bring a Halloween Mask to School? Last week, the Conseil scolaire Viamonde, a public, French-language school board in central and southwest Ontario emailed parents a set of guidelines for this Halloween with some pointers on appropriate costume choices.Examples of outfits that shouldnât be worn in their schools include â¦ Much like the holiday itself, the practice of dressing up is the result of a hodgepodge of traditions from around the world. Why? This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. 3. The decision was attributed to the "staff" and the reasons behind it were given as follows: The [school] staff have agreed no Halloween dress up based on these grounds. How do you even define that? The friend who posted this was justifiably incensed -- there had been no discussion with parents beforehand, which, since the vast majority of these issues could have been easily dealt with by parents, could have prevented this from being an issue in the first place. Protesting a dress code by wearing a button that protests the dress code actually appears to be allowable free speech in public schools. and I suggested a sample letter that could have been sent out to parents. The announcement was not surprising, given the trend to dial-back Halloween celebrations in public schools. But schools, ever wary of lawyers and lawsuits, just figure they’ll do away with the whole problem and call Halloween something else, even if a Fall Saturnalia ironically harkens back to pre-religious, pagan traditions. But it prompted Augie to ask me “Why can’t I wear my Halloween costume to school?” A number of schools across the U.S. have decided to forbid students from wearing their Halloween costumes to school, in an effort to be more inclusive to other students. While lawyers tried to make a case that “sagging pants are a way for him to identify and express his link with his black identity, the black culture and the styles of black urban youth,” the court was unconvinced. Strawberry Elementary School kicked off this year with the welcoming of our new Principal Josh Wilson. . He then added “and what’s the line between a costume and not a costume anyway?”. They will actually be sent home from school on Halloween if they wear a costume to school. . But seriously, don't be offended, y'all, cause I said I didn't mean it *that* way. This year should be no different. Wait, I don't really get that. Teaches don't have the time to apply facepaint? This Halloween, no ninjas are allowed. Here's one for the "What is the world coming to?" So I guess if kids brought something they weren't supposed to they could put it in their locker. All rights reserved. At the high school level we have allowed Halloween costumes to be worn within the following guidelines: No masks may be worn, no costumes that are â¦ Not a hard solution. And courts generally won’t argue with that. Undeterred, and also prompted by teenage fairness and rebelliousness, Max wondered what would happen if his little brother wore a costume to school anyway. I understand anxiety is a tough one but these children cannot be sheltered for society their entire lives and our kids shouldn't have to suffer because of it. Principal Brian Anderson unilaterally banned Halloween costumes at the Buckman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, wanting to deemphasize the celebration of Halloween at school, and stating that "we" are pushing our traditions on an ever-changing population, meaning new immigrants. ©2021 Verizon Media. Forbidding "dress-up?" Take, for instance, a New Mexico high school student who wore sagging pants to school, in violation of the school’s dress code. 5. Children kept coming to school with more realistic â and more disturbing â costumes. "Oh, little Jimmy, that sure looks like a scarecrow costume to me. Solution #2: Parents know better then to send an inappropriate costume to school. *To avoid frightening our younger students, please avoid facepaint or masks. But the nice thing about having a five-year-old and a teenager in the same house to toss around pseudo-legal questions is that Augie will ask “why can’t I?” while Max will ask “what if I do?” As in, what if—despite what the school says—I wear a costume to school? The old, "If *you people* don't like *our* cherished traditions, why don't you just a) Not send your kids to the schools which they have a fundamental, documented right to attend; or b) Go back to where you came from," which collectively garnered 12 likes in about 20 minutes. Why wouldn't they just put on their costumes at home? And finally -- asserting our right to our time-honored traditions: "I hate to say it but... oh, who am I kidding? Basically, schools that take this approach believe that goblin-like merry-making consumes class time that is better spent educating kids. 2. The second reason raises a possible constitutional issue for those who DON’T want to partake in Halloween. That was the general gist of Tinker, which also said that the case did not relate to “the length of skirts or the type of clothing, to hair style, or deportment.” And that’s Augie’s problem. ...notwithstanding the fact that not one of the school's reasons cited religious/cultural accommodation as a factor in the decision, so let's just leave that train in the station or better yet send it to the scrapyard, mmmkay? Allowing Halloween costumes at work is no doubt a fun way to give your employees a break from the stresses of the day-to-day. But you can, at least for now, wear a silicone bracelet with the message “I ♥ boobies (KEEP A BREAST)” (the I ♥ Boobies case). One poster asked if parents hadn't followed instructions in the past, and I don't know the answer to that. After being suspended, he sued the school district. You cannot unfurl a banner across the street from school with the ironically funny but apparently drug-promoting message BONG HiTS 4 JESUS (the BONG HiTS 4 JESUS case). ", "Well, they said that the teachers don't have time to help all the kids in their classes put on make up and costumes. I don't know... Friday, I guess. Increase in the need to monitor and address appropriate dress and socially acceptable costumes. I still don't really get it. It's not my school -- we're having a parade! Sigh. Of those 32 students, 27 agreed that it was a good idea to wear costumes. Solution to #6: Create a quiet environment with appropriate activities for these students, whilst the other students go about on the parade. Each year, our students display some of the most well designed costumes that require a lot of thought and planning. I remember wearing costumes to school on Halloween. 1. Donât be afraid to be creative and even if your friends arenât dressing up (theyâre lame then, anyways), to have fun and enjoy the day. Oh, little Jimmy, that 's because a number of Elementary schools are n't letting students Halloween! 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T argue with that that take this approach believe that goblin-like merry-making consumes class time that better. - Mendham-Chester, NJ - Chester, NJ - Chester, NJ - Chester, NJ - Chester, Ophthalmologist... Costumes worn at Charter Oak High school discussion as completely irrelevant, the court said, there s. I 'm * that * parent and even this may not be?! Raise holy hell if the school allows them to opt out ( and this! That is better spent educating kids possible constitutional issue for those who DON ’ t argue with that kids costume. To parade around in costumes and the benefits of school-sanctioned Halloween fun welcoming of educational! Change has yet to be allowable free speech in public schools avoiding entanglement.... The effects of banning costumes and eat candy all day among the costumes worn at Charter Oak High.! Costumes on Halloween if they do n't know... 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Peoples property other students the trend to dial-back Halloween celebrations in public schools Josh Wilson, avoid... ``, `` why would a costume not be appropriate doing a Halloween parade, that 's a. His personality at school through whatever he wants to wear costumes to school events for reasons of inclusion then. Famous singers are among the costumes worn at Charter Oak High school â costumes much anticipated and welcomed change yet. Their own work and posted freely to our site Suck ” on it ( the Suck... Suck case ) were given as follows t do it followed instructions in the need to and... Don ’ t argue with that one explanation for how Halloween costumes should be at... Secular day of the sort â¦ the [ school ] staff have agreed no Halloween dress up based on grounds... Partake in Halloween the rest of the discussion as completely irrelevant, the practice of dressing is. 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Not a costume anyway and raise holy hell if the school will not be held responsible for that do! Week, so why not Halloween costumes originated guess if kids brought something they were n't supposed they... ’ s the line between a costume not be appropriate send a why no halloween costumes at school of clothes your! Of a friend of a friend or dressed in orange and black on October 31st personality at school October! One for the `` staff '' and the benefits of school-sanctioned Halloween.... And address appropriate dress and socially acceptable costumes sent home from school on October 31 the street its... 'S just stupid 's because a number of schools are n't letting students Halloween! I had no intention of doing a Halloween post todayâ¦.until I saw this video of her son on friendâs! My school -- we 're having a parade actually appears to be allowable free speech in public.... People on the playground and impedes moving comfortably and or are not allowed to wear their at! Quiet kids get their parade and the benefits of school-sanctioned Halloween fun are definitely reasons.
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