Get Schooled

By Lee

October 31, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this

My daughter’s private school is allowing to students to dress up today and they are having some fun activities as well. ..and this is a high school.

You see, they understand the concept of balance and that children are not robots who must “stay on task” every day, every week, for the entire school year.

Even in corporate America, we have retreats, conferences, and team building activities in which we get out of the office and into a more relaxed setting.

“But these students are still children who need to have some fun.”

How right you are.

By jim d

October 31, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this

I’d much rather be blogging about the communications with BOE members (or the lack of availability of these folks)

However, since we have the spooky subject at hand let’s take an objective look.

“others don’t want any mention of Halloween because of what they say are the holiday’s pagan roots”

This argument has always been fascinating since Christmas is also based on pagaan traaditions. I know, I know. It is now offically “Winter holiday”

And this one is most asinine.

“principals argue their time would be better spent teaching”

I’m about to anger a few but what the hey, can we say blogging on the clock, with students in the room? Understand I really don’t care what they do when students are not present, but when kids are there for instruction, I think teachers should be focused on the task at hand. (ok y’all rip me on that one)

I’d also point out that some great life lessons can be found in partying. I know I learned a lot (LOL)

So you see there really are two sides of this issue. bottom line though? Let the kids be kids, they only get one shot at it!

By flipper

October 31, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this

Public schools are ridiculous. We are doing everything we can to get our kids out of them. Go vouchers!!!!!

By TheBlogger

October 31, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this

Why can’t students have “fun” in school?

Yes, in the past these types of things may have been allowed. However, back then, the parents supported teachers. And, back then the parents actually helped in the education of their children.

Oh, how things have changed.

By love my 4 kids

October 31, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

Our home school is celebrating Halloween with economy themed costumes. We’ve been studying real world economics so this year’s costumes are “Inflation”, a pirate, and an IRS auditor. I can’t think of anything more scary! This evening we will participate in our church’s “Harvest Festival”. Members run carnival- style game booths and give out candy. Live music, puppet shows, and rides are all provided to the community for free. My eight year old thinks it’s “way more fun than “trick or treating” in the neighborhood.” See, it is possible to be a Christian, be educational, and celebrate Halloween.

By TheBlogger

October 31, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this

Lee Private schools do not have to adhere to crazy laws such as NCLB. Private schools can take days or weeks to do nothing but have “fun.” Public schools cannot do that.

However, I will say that the vast majority of private schools also do not adhere to the standards (see GPS) and are considered “behind” in content. As a public school teacher in high school, I regularly see students joining my class from a private school and they are woefully behind and are not ready for high school level work.

I am not wanting to start any debate about private vs. public schools here. I am only stating what I have experienced during my 7 years of teaching public high school. During that 7 years, I have seen on average 5 students per semester joining my class from some private school that aren’t ready for high school level work.

By Lee

October 31, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this

“The State of GA under NCLB does not recognize “fun” in schools.”

Ah yes, the thought process of a government bureaucrat. They will blindly follow any rule or regulation irregardless of how inane it is.

…which explains how some think a Tweety Bird keychain is a deadly weapon.

By LR

October 31, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this

holiday’s pagan roots

That is actually a very ignorant misconception. The holiday has Christian, and specifically Catholic, roots as it comes from the traditional pre-celebration of ‘All Hallow’s Even’ or “holy evening” —a popular Saints day feast that was placed at Nov. 1st by decree of the Pope (Gregory IV in 835 AD to be specific)

So really celebrating Halloween is no less appropriate than celebrating other historically saint-based days such as St. Valentines day or St. Patricks day. I never had friends growing up that couldn’t come to a Valentine’s themed party, but can think of a few whose dimwit parents wouldn’t let ‘em dress up with their friends and come to a Halloween party.

By Harper's Mama

October 31, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this

First of all: Jim, I am typing this on my lunch period. Second of all: Holymotherofgod, what a bunch of hypocrites! The past week has been all about the fact that students get no “real” or “solid” education in public school. Now that we have some stupid a$$ holiday in our midst, schools are a bunch of scrooges! There is no winning for losing on this post.

By Harper's Mama

October 31, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this

Lovesmyfour, After reading your oh so feel good message about chrisitanity and schooling, I felt the need to have a hot shower and and enema.

By jct

October 31, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this

@ LR

You have to go back further than 835 to get to the origins of Halloween. Please retake history 101. Many Christain holidays have a pagan origins. That is how the Holy Roman Empire kept peace in its vast empire.

From Wiki: Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old Irish samain).[1] The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes[2] regarded as the “Celtic New Year.”[3] Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them.[4][5]

History of name The term Halloween is shortened from All Hallows’ Even (both “even” and “eve” are abbreviations of “evening,” but “Halloween” gets its “n” from “even”) as it is the eve of “All Hallows’ Day,”[6] which is now also known as All Saints’ Day. It was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions,[7] until Popes Gregory III and Gregory IV moved the old Christian feast of All Saints’ Day from May 13 (which had itself been the date of a pagan holiday, the Feast of the Lemures) to November 1. In the ninth century, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints’ Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were, at that time, celebrated on the same day. Liturgically, the Church traditionally celebrated that day as the Vigil of All Saints, and, until 1970, a day of fasting as well. Like other vigils, it was celebrated on the previous day if it fell on a Sunday, although secular celebrations of the holiday remained on the 31st. The Vigil was suppressed in 1955, but was later restored in the post-Vatican II calendar.

By Stacey

October 31, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this

My son’s (elementary) school is celebrating “Drug Free Week” so they have had different theme days all week. Yesterday they were allowed to dress as storybook characters (he was Spiderman). Today is “Biker Day” (not sure why they didn’t do Storybook Characters today). They are having a party this afternoon to celebrate their pledge the be drug free. There will be cupcakes and candy just like a Halloween party…just calling it something else. In years past they had a big “Fall Festival” on the Friday night before Halloween but they didn’t do it this year.

By TheBlogger

October 31, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this

Harper’s Mama

I agree with you 100%. There are far too many people that point their finger at whatever just to complain.

They complain that schools aren’t rigorous enough - students are failing.

Then, those very people complain that there isn’t enough fun time at schools - there should be a balance.

No wonder schools cannot make progress. People continue to be confused about what they want schools to be!

By Brim

October 31, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this

Halloween Thanksgiving Christmas Martin Luther King Day Easter Birthdays End of School Celebration The list goes on. Yes it is a bummber that we do not celebrate all of the time in schools but what do you want? Better test scores or cupcakes? Harper’s Mama is right. Schools are not the problem. It is all of the complaining fools that ask for everything and never are satisfied. Guess what folks. Vouchers, Private school- what ever happend -the foolish follows. Silly parents are silly parents no matter what building they are in.

By LR

October 31, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this

@jct

Ok, sure the holiday existed before that but it wasn’t moved to Nov. 1st until 835 AD … hence Oct. 31st didn’t have any particular meaning until then

And since when is ‘History 101’ based on cut-n-paste from a wiki-based website. You sound like a real d00che

By mmmm

October 31, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this

TheBlogger,

Well, schools definitely make it VERY easy for people to complain because they fail at just about everything they try. Of course, teachers and administrators then turn around and cry it’s someone else’s fault.

By ignore mmmm

October 31, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this

well it looks like the troll mmmm/Jeff is back. please press ignore

By BlogKing

October 31, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

Another typical tactic by educators - ignore any complaint. Just pretend everything is rosy.

By catlady

October 31, 2008 7:59 PM | Link to this

I suggested to some complaining parents that they go to the next school board meeting and ask why the kids cannot have some fun at school. I will probably get in trouble, but the parents were saying what the teachers are mad about. At our school all the fun is sucked out for the kids, especially k-3 due to NCLB and Reading First. No fluff. Everything has to be direct teacher instruction. No time to think, no time to ruminate no time for contemplation. Kids don’t know the answer? We tell them the answer and have them repeat it back to us ad naseum. Won’t help much on the CRCT, b ecause we can’t tell them the answer if they don’t know it. We are raising automatons with no joy in school.

But we DID get to spend our precious time to see a Christian based “encouragement” program that was arranged for every school in the system.

By luvs2teach

November 1, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this

I need a T-shirt that says “I Survived - Halloween on a Friday in a Middle School” - lol.

This whole post is a sad testament to the drugery factories that schools have turned into since NCLB, as well as the PC-let’s-not-step-on-any-toes-lest-we-have-a lawsuit-mentality that pervades our nation.

My students, especially those from other states where Halloween was still a dress up day, were sad to find out that they couldn’t do anything (oh, we had hat day as part of Red Ribbon Week, but that was it - and they got lollipops for signing a drug-free pledge banner).

That being said, many of my colleagues were able to incorporate “standards-based fun” - review games with candy prizes, mock voting, etc. I made several different types of slime with my students - perfect for studying states of matter and chemical changes. It was fun - most of my students have never done that before.

By End of story

November 1, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this

How many Japanese students call their teachers “B!TCH” and then get let back into class a few minutes later after being “counseled” by an administrator for “inappropriate” word choices?

END OF STORY!

By jim d

November 3, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this

did you mean

雌犬 ?