Good Morning, Mrs. S,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note as October approaches to let you know that we don’t celebrate Halloween; however we enjoy all sorts of fall activities and anything like pumpkins, scarecrows and harvest-related items are fine. If you feel there are any class activities or projects planned that conflict with that, please let me know. And, if you have any questions or concerns regarding this, please let me know!
Thank you for doing such a great job teaching #2….her reading had already improved so much since school started! She really enjoys it now and looks forward to her quiet reading time in the evening.
Have a great day,
Mrs. oH mY wORD
This was her response this afternoon:
Hi Mrs. oH mY wORD,
I am so happy to hear about #2’s reading at home and the improvements that you have seen! She has been working very hard here as well.
Thank you for letting me know about Halloween. What would you like me to do if we have a Halloween read aloud? I have many Halloween books that I display in the classroom and read throughout the last two weeks of October.
As for our party, we can have a “fall” themed party so that should be fine.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks, Mrs. S.
Sooooooo, now I don't know what to do! As soon as I read this I got in the shower (I do my best thinking there), but the only solution I got was to ask for my friends' 2 cents. I am so conflicted with the idea of compromising everything we teach the girls by allowing them to sit through stories about things that are not Godly. On the other hand, it sounds like "read aloud" time is a mere 10 minutes out of the day and I don't want to be all legalistic and high matinence. I fought this battle once before when #1 was in first grade and she spent nearly the entire month of October in the library reading by herself while her class did all sorts of Halloweeny activities. That was the main reason I had decided public school just wasn't for us. Things are very different at this school and I certainly don't want to isolate #2, but we also teach them to stand up for their convictions and not "conform"........ARGHHHHHHHH.....wouldn't a devout Jewish mother do the same at Christmas time if the teachers start reading stories about Baby Jesus? What about the atheists who have let their minority, a small, small minority change the entire education system as we know it?
Tell me, please....what would you do?
3 comments:
I think the teacher's response was great! Last year I simply requested that Jeter sit in another area of the classroom and do some other activity - either read a book on his own or some quiet work. It worked out very well. God knows the solution and will help reveal it to you!
I agree with TCC. God has an answer. That answer may be different for each child and for each year. Perhaps your confusion may be due to the idea that #2 may be mature enough to handle it. If you get the names of the books than maybe you can get a copy of them and discuss them with her each night about what God likes and hates about them and how we are supposed to react to it and use scripture to back it up. It could be a wonderful teaching opportunity. Also perhaps just giving #2 the permission to leave class if she feels uncomfortable with the subject will be all that is necessary.
Ok. Here's my 2 cents, because you asked for it. ;) I would let #2 listen to the stories and then come home and talk to you about them. Then I would educate her about the "holiday" by telling her that the date began as a day to celebrate Christians who gave their lives for their God. This is a great opportunity to talk about what the world celebrates and what we celebrate. That's what I would do, but as usual, you have to do what God tells you to do for your little #2. I'll pray that the Father will reveal it to you. ;) He will 'cause He's cool like that.
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