Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Halloween Parties - Can we still have them in After School Programs?

In this modern era of political correctness and being sensitive to everyone for
everything, it's a fair question.  Some schools and districts still celebrate Halloween whole-heartedly, while others have no mention of the holiday, no jack o lanterns on the wall, no witches hanging from strings, no classroom parties or costume parades.  These were some of my favorite memories as a child, so it is hard to see the lack of this in schools I work in.  It is typically a district or school decision.

In the past, I have discussed, with my school principal, the possibility of having a celebration even if they don't have it during the school day.  We came to an agreement that if parents supported it, and we waited until the day of the party to decorate, it would be fine. I spoke with all of my parents individually and assured that they were okay with the party, and then we were able to go ahead with it, with the blessing of our administration.

The vast majority of Americans still celebrate Halloween, and while some of the images can be quite offensive it is possible to have less scary fun at school.  If you allow students to wear costumes, make it abundantly clear that there is no blood or weapons allowed. (Sorry little Zombies!)

Your fun and activities can include, Jack-o-lanterns, spiders, bats, friendly ghosts and witches.  Just leave out the scary images and menacing faces.

Here's a link to a fantastic Pinterest Board with lots of Classroom Halloween ideas.

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