Wishing you a Thwinging Holiday...
Posted on 01/16/2006 12:32:51 AM PST by presidio9
MMEDWAY - Middle school parents’ efforts to have "Jesus Christ Superstar" songs returned to this month’s winter concert were unnecessary, as administrators last week overturned their decision to exclude the songs.
Superintendent Richard Grandmont and Middle School Principal Joanne Senier-LaBarre wrote parents a letter last Thursday explaining the selections would be included. The letter came before they had received any written pleas from parents who, the day before, announced they would launch a letter drive to reinstate "Jesus Christ Superstar."
Sixth-grade parents received a letter Jan. 5 that a winter concert in late January would be "performed as planned," with portions of the musical. The decision came after fallout from a Dec. 15 letter stating the songs were cut because some people were uncomfortable with a musical work that had religious ties.
"Since that time, the administration ... has given considerable thought to the educational value of the original curricular decision to include the ’Jesus Christ Superstar,’ selections," Senier-LaBarre and Grandmont wrote jointly.
"In retrospect, and having given significant consideration to broadening and deepening the musical and educational experiences of all our students, we believe the original program should be performed as planned."
"I am very happy," said mother Tracy Goldrick, who launched a letter drive in the middle of last week aimed at returning the songs. "The superintendent has come around and decided this is the right thing to do. I respect him."
Grandmont was criticized last month for decisions that he, other administrators and teachers made regarding holiday programming.
After a couple of parents expressed concern about their children performing "Jesus Christ Superstar" in an upcoming winter concert, district leaders made several changes to holiday programming, including calling a Christmas tree a "magical tree."
On Dec. 28, Grandmont posted a statement on the School Department’s Web site, and Thursday night, read it at the School Committee meeting.
"The matter of dealing with religious holidays in public schools has become more complex and a highly sensitive issue that may be interpreted differently by different people," the statement read. "As a result, some holiday activities were planned or altered with the intention of ensuring that all students felt included and comfortable. Some school personnel with the noblest of intentions tried hard not to offend anyone."
Goldrick wrote a letter expressing her displeasure with the decision to remove "Jesus Christ Superstar," and had barely mailed it last Thursday afternoon when she got a call from a friend who told her about the administration’s decision to reinstate the songs.
"My friend told me this was happening just as the mailman started driving down the road," she said. "I’m thrilled. He just did something positive."
The school department’s earlier decisions inflamed parents, residents, out-of-towners, and the religious legal advocacy group, the Liberty Counsel. While a local director of the American Civil Liberties Union said he believed the district could not be held legally accountable for its actions, many were offended by the removal of Christmas elements from the district’s programming.
In addition to the musical being cut, elf hats used in class plays were altered so they would not be associated with Christmas colors. Elementary school students performed "We Wish You a Swinging Holiday," instead of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and many students said they were discouraged from wishing others a merry Christmas or happy Hanukkah.
Ronal Madnick, director of the ACLU’s Worcester division, said the courts have been unclear on religious themes in the public schools.
"A lot of school departments and teachers aren’t quite sure where the line is drawn," Madnick said. "To play it safe, they’ll say you can’t do anything that has any religious meaning. That’s not what the law says."
If a religious-themed play were the sole production in a school-sponsored concert, Madnick said, those who objected to their children participating in it would have a valid argument. But in the middle school’s case, songs from "Jesus Christ Superstar" were only a segment of the performance.
"If ’Jesus Christ Superstar’ is simply part of an overall performance that has both religious and secular components, then there’s no problem," he said.
What's the fuss? Tell me what's a happening?
Plus, the school has something called a "Magical Tree" this "Holiday Season." Generally, I think Bill O'Reilley sounds like a crackpot when he starts bitching about the supposed War On Christmas, but this school really did go too far. They got rid of their Christmas Concert, in favor of a "Winter Musical," and moved it to January so there would be no confusion. The JCSS songs were included with several more secular Andrew Lloyd Webber selections. When the same cast of characters got queasy, a group of moms said "enough is enough," and organized a petition. The school finally relented.
You do realize that I was quoting a song from JCS.
My bad. Too much time spent dealing with liberaltarians tonight. Sarcasm becomes lost on me.
"We Wish You a Swinging Holiday!" Howie Carr was ripping them to shreds for hours and days on his radio show.
If you want to wish a Swinging Holiday to Medway Middle School staff here is the link:
That's not good enough for me. I want to hear you say, "I used to think Bill O'Reilly sounded like a crackpot, but now I see he understated the case."
Wishing you a Thwinging Holiday...
MIS-quoting, you mean. It's "What's the buzz ..."
He really does sound like a crackpot on this issue sometimes, but there are clearly individual cases that need to be corrected.
Testing new tagline
Hah! Christmas as we knew it is a lost cause.
"Bear with me, my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar."
What has Marky been up to lately?
Mom has that album. She actually sings the "Our Father!"
Do you want me to let her know you are interested? Your "women of FR" thread DID sound sort of desperate.
Marky isn't my type. Too skinny, too liberal and HAS A PENIS!
But she omitts the "Christ The Savior Is Born" verse from "Silent Night."
BTW, Catholic tradition notwithstanding, the "Our Father" is based on a traditional Jewish prayer that was popular in the first century BCE.
Can you prove this?
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