...;0)
Posted on 09/28/2007 7:23:53 PM PDT by Izzy Dunne
So long, Halloween parade. Farewell, Santa's gift shop.
The holiday traditions are facing elimination in some Oak Lawn schools this year after complaints that the activities are offensive, particularly to Muslim students.
Final decisions on which of the festivities will be axed will fall to the principals at each of Ridgeland School District 122's five schools, Supt. Tom Smyth said.
Parents expect that the announcement is going to add to the tension that has been building since officials agreed earlier this month to change the lunch menu to exclude items containing pork to accommodate Muslim students. News that Jell-O was struck from the menu caused such a stir that officials have agreed to bring it back. Gelatin is often made with tissue or bones of pigs or other animals.
That controversy now appears to have been been dwarfed by the holiday debate, which became so acrimonious Wednesday that police were called to Columbus Manor School to intervene in a shouting match among parents.
"It's difficult when you change the school's culture," said Columbus Manor Principal Sandy Robertson.
Elizabeth Zahdan, a mother of three District 122 students, says she took her concerns to the school board this month, not because she wanted to do away with the traditions, but rather to make them more inclusive. "I only wanted them modified to represent everyone," she said.
Nixing them isn't the response she was looking for. "Now the kids are not being educated about other people," she said.
There's just not time in the six-hour school day to celebrate every holiday, said Smyth, who sent the message to principals that they need to "tone down" the activities that he sees as eating too much into instructional time. "We have to think about our purpose," Smyth said. "Are we about teaching reading, writing and math or for parties or fund-raising during the day?"
Robertson is hoping to strike compromises that will keep traditions alive and be culturally acceptable to all students -- nearly half of whom are of Arab descent at Columbus Manor, she says. Fewer than a third of students districtwide are of Arab descent, according to Smyth.
Following the example of Lieb Elementary School, Columbus Manor School will exchange the annual Halloween parade for a fall festival next month. The holiday gift bazaars at both schools also will remain, but they'll likely be moved to the PTA-sponsored after-school winter festival. And Santa's annual visit probably will be on a Saturday.
I was offended by English literature class - too bad this excuse wasn't around back then...
DEATH TO JELL-O!
Reminds me of the angel of death.
Ping for the list.
Dhimmis. Stand back. Let them.
How prescient.
Death to the Great Jiggly Satan!
judaism and christianity are offensive to moslems,
so, no doubt,
someday they’ll eliminate them too.
Especially raspberry!
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There are some women, I assume are Muslim, that wear clothing that is very modest, and cover their heads with a shawl or scarf like piece of cloth. They dress in nice looking cloths of various colors, and it doesn't bother me in the least bit. It's just something about the all black burkas that makes my skin crawl.
I don't know how prevalent this is becoming on campuses around the country, but it has been getting all to common place here in San Diego.
Same here.
They’ve been infiltrating for years. Now they’re working on the takeover; schools, workplaces, judges, political positions,....
somebody else here put it this way:
“hag in a bag.”
What a clueless idiot.
It's not just changing the school's culture, they're trying to change ALL our culture.
Danged straight I'll be complaining if I hear our district pulls this kind of crap. If the muzzies don't like it they can move back to where they came from.
I saw a few of them recently that were surgical green. There wasn’t an opening for the eyes but a screen.
I find Islam to be insulting. Ban it.
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