[kwflatbed]

Officials Cancel Halloween Celebrations

POSTED: 12:12 pm EDT October 27, 2005
UPDATED: 6:01 pm EDT October 27, 2005

NEWTON, Mass. -- A Newton elementary school decided Halloween will not be celebrated at its school this year, officials said Thursday.

NewsCenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that the Underwood Elementary School has had a tradition of celebrating the holiday, but some families complained that the day is offensive.

"What should have happened, instead of this being raised a few days before Halloween, the folks who are concerned should have raised it six months ago. We should have had the conversation, and then we would have had an amicable situation, instead of having parents quite upset about this. The kids are also quite upset," parent Geoffrey Epstein said.

School officials sent out a notice Friday that Halloween activities were being canceled because some parents found them offensive to religious beliefs. Some said that they were uncomfortable to the point that they were keeping children home.

"It was hard to say we should continue these practices given the fact that some kids were so uncomfortable, so we discontinued the tradition, but we are trying to replace those with a fall celebration, " Principal David Castelline said.

"I think they should cancel it because it's the only fair way, even though am disappointed," student Carina Wallack said.

"If they believe that, then maybe we shouldn't have it here," student Sam Clark said.

Clark could only think about the pressure his principal was under.

"I just feel what my principal feels because I don't want him to be under pressure," he said.

The fall celebration is scheduled for Nov. 4. School officials said that later in the year, there will be a different kind of costume celebration, where staff members will be able to dress up like some of their favorite literary characters. Copyright 2005 by TheBostonChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[frapmpd24]

Oh damn... not Halloween, Newton has too much class for kids to dress up in costumes and have FUN!. WTF!! 8-O

The last word that comes to mind when I hear Halloween is "offensive".

While the PC Police are out why not cancel Thanksgiving too. Some seven year old in Newton could accidently refer to Native American's as Indians and then two different cultures would be offended. And Santa, oh no... don't even dare think of celebrating Christmas... referring to him as a "jolly old fella" could offend not only overweight people but happy people too. Why don't they just take the fun out of every childhood.

 

[k12kop]

Boo-Hoo! Got no problem with the kid's celebrating in my school, had to restrict them to to no face masks or weapons (toy or otherwise)....I've seen some decent costumes so far today, The staff let them put together a dance for after school dismisses today.

 

[Dan Stark]

From now on, the word 'happy' is banned when referring to any type of holiday. It was determined that it offended people who were depressed. :finger2: I am dressing up as an ultra-liberal social scientist for Halloween, that is the scariest costume I could think of.

 

[k12kop]

Dat's right .........Hugs for everyone!!!

 

[Pvt. Cowboy]

What religion is anti-Halloween? Scientology?

I'm glad to hear that the elementary students in Newton have a profound interest in the feelings of the principal, and the "Pressure" he is under.

This is great, we'll upset the majority of the kids in school, because a few parents are spazzing about some costumes. WTF is this world coming to? #-o

Anyone see that episode of South Park, when the whole town has different Nativity scenes or stars of David around, etc., and everyone bitches that something offends them, and they take down every decoration in the town, just to appease everyone, and there is nothing left??

 

[dcs2244]

Another tradition has a stake driven through its heart! What's next? Michaelmas?

 

[frapmpd24]

Halloween is not allowed, but the schools won't forget "earth day" or any other liberal tree hugging holiday.

 

[SOT]

I think it's a pagan holliday (of sorts) so it flips out the Ultra Christian, the people that come around and ask for money...what are those latter day saint's or something, the ones that don't like birthday's and all that, the people with the shiny metal disks that were burried in the ground, the muslims, often burhkas are already confused for really hipster ghost costumes....

Ghost or Burhka

Now a days it's really easy to offend almost anyone.

What religion is anti-Halloween? Scientology?

I'm glad to hear that the elementary students in Newton have a profound interest in the feelings of the principal, and the "Pressure" he is under.

This is great, we'll upset the majority of the kids in school, because a few parents are spazzing about some costumes. WTF is this world coming to? #-o

Anyone see that episode of South Park, when the whole town has different Nativity scenes or stars of David around, etc., and everyone bitches that something offends them, and they take down every decoration in the town, just to appease everyone, and there is nothing left??

 

[SOT]

Save some sprouts, kill a hippie....that's what I say.

Halloween is not allowed, but the schools won't forget "earth day" or any other liberal tree hugging holiday.

 

[Dan Stark]

I think it's a pagan holliday (of sorts) so it flips out the Ultra Christian, the people that come around and ask for money...what are those latter day saint's or something, the ones that don't like birthday's and all that, the people with the shiny metal disks that were burried in the ground, the muslims, often burhkas are already confused for really hipster ghost costumes....

I was going to mention that is was the far right that complains about stuff like Halloween, but it is school administrators (fairly left) that don't want anyone to sniffle about their school being perceived as 'insensitive.' When I was in school, we had kids who didn't celebrate stuff, so they just stayed home that day. It wasn't like we were learning anything on those days anyways...(like we learned much on regular days either:naughty: ) Nowadays, it's the: "If I can't play, then I am taking the ball home, so none of you can play" mentality. Get a life. I don't get offended as a Catholic when my job tells me to let kids celebrate Kwanza, but God forbid that I say Christmas. [-X
I can't wait to move down south...:fu2:

I find the old Churchill saying fairly true: "Anyone under 30 and conservative has no heart; and anyone over 30 who is a liberal has no brain."

 

[2-Delta]

This country is getting to be re-godamn-diculous.