Massachusetts Principal Takes Aim at Fall Holidays, Says They're Insensitive

I just read this article, and I have to say, I am at a loss for words. Is this taking "political correctness" too far?

www.foxnews.com...

Anne Foley, the principal at Kennedy School in Somerville, Mass., sent an email to teachers warning them about celebrating Thanksgiving, the Boston Herald reported. "When we were young we might have been able to claim ignorance of the atrocities that Christopher Columbus committed against the indigenous peoples," Kennedy School Principal Anne Foley wrote. "We can no longer do so. For many of us and our students celebrating this particular person is an insult and a slight to the people he annihilated. On the same lines, we need to be careful around the Thanksgiving Day time as well."

I don't mean to be rude, but I never thought of Thanksgiving Day being a horrible holiday. Throughout my life, it has always been a day to get together with family and be thankful for the things we have, and to reflect on that. Also its a great day and reason to pig out on all the great food, haha. I suppose for some, its just a reason to also watch football and drink lol. But in all seriousness, what are the implications of this? Where does it stop? Are going to do away with all holidays? I realize this is just one example in a localized area, but is is this something that will move on to other places? I really think this is just blowing things out of proportion, really.

Teachers have already been told not to let students dress up for Halloween. Parents told MyFoxBoston that they felt the principal was overreacting. “My kids were brought up with Halloween and whatever have you. She has no right to tell these kids they can’t have it,” one woman told the station. “The children, they need to express themselves and be children. Don’t take holidays and fun time away from them. They have so much homework. They don’t have enough play time,” another said. Superintendant Tony Pierantozzi told The Herald that Halloween is “problematic” because of connections to witchcraft.

Halloween is a 2 edged sword in my opinion. I believe in God, but at the same time I don't think any institution has the right to tell me whether or not I can let my kids celebrate Halloween if I so choose (whatever the history may be behind it) I think it is as wrong to tell someone they cannot celebrate Halloween as it is to tell someone they cannot worship God. It comes down to a personal decision I suppose. However, it is not the point of this post to debate religious mechanics. The point is whether or not this infringes on someones rights or not.

“I don’t think they should not be able to celebrate these holidays I mean this country was formed with the idea that everything is a free country, and they should be able to celebrate these holidays,” a Somerville woman told MyFoxBoston.

I have to agree with this woman. It comes down to a personal decision of whether or not to celebrate these holidays, and I don't think any institution, whether it be the church, the government, the schools or whatever, has the right to tell others how to think, or how to celebrate. Besides, I personally like going through the candy, hehe. Yes, I do know the origins of Halloween, and personally, I really don't celebrate it much. But Im not going to tell my kids that they can't go trick or treating because some silly schoolmarm thinks its politically incorrect. We all have our own beliefs, and its up to us individually to adhere to those. It shouldn't be on someone else to make those decisions for us. Anyway, I am curious to see what others think about this.

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, who has three kids at Kennedy, also weighed in. “I’m the son of Italian immigrations, so I take Columbus Day very near and dear, and I’m proud that he discovered America and that America’s named after another Italian,” Curtatone said. “If we ignore and we don’t want to talk about it, if we want to stifle debate, then we’re ignoring history.”

The situation even caught the attention of U.S. senator for Massachusetts, Scott Brown. “Let’s not take political correctness to the extreme. Let the kids in Somerville enjoy Halloween,” Brown tweeted Friday.

Edit Note - It just occurred to me to pose a question about this - would it be better to keep ALL holidays out of the schools, and just focus on education (that would be great, but it wont happen) let kids celebrate other holidays and learn about other cultures and (tainted?) history. Maybe it would be best to do away with all holidays in the schools, and let the kids learn. Very interesting conundrum.

Principal Foley, eh? Wonder what kind of name that is. Hmmm, I wonder.

Same people are always causing these types of problems.

reply to post by Veritas1


Man you are in for more of suprise when you see how many members on here are happy to see Halloween not celebrated....I'm also from MA and there are more schools than you think who are not acknowledging the holiday...my kids school for instance has stopped this a few years ago before my son went into kindergarted...what do people expect to happen when you start with one holiday....onto the next one and the next one and the next one...again I don't care what religious theme a holiday presents...if my kids have fun during that time..I'm good with it...I've been saying for years I wish Hannukah had more of a presence with their celebration around decorations...the kids love lights and the more the better I say...and I'm not jewish

reply to post by CaptChaos


Are you serious?

When I was kid, a very long time ago, granted, we didn't dress up for Halloween until after school. We never went to school in costume. There may have been Haloweeny cookies or cupcakes during class or in the cafeteria, but no "Trick or Treating" from class to class, as is done in some schools. There may have been an assembly with a costume contest, but classes weren't compromised during the day.

Don't get me wrong, we did Halloween big time, Trick or Treating until our pillowcases were to heavy to carry. I don't see a need for the schools to make Halloween a big deal. It should remain an after school activity.

I also agree with the principal about being sensitive around Columbus Day. With all the information we have today, it's a sham to continue to push the idea that Columbus discovered the Americas, since they were already populated with people who were murdered and enslaved bt Columbus and his counterparts.

Thanksgiving day has always been just that, a day of celebration of thanks for all that we have have. It will continue to be that for many families and friends who choose to be together in love on that day.

reply to post by Veritas 1


i've listened to this nonsense for the past two days on tv news.

kids have a good time with these events, leprechauns on St Patrick day, Halloween, Thanksgiving.

might have to clean up the old cultural propaganda, but the kids love dressing up and just being kids.

lets not make schools too sterile, imo.

I agree with the teacher. I wonder what people would say in Germany if they had a Hitler day. Columbus day should no longer exist. The schools need to start telling the real truth to the kids and teach them the fact that he wiped out almost and entire Native civilization with their guns and disease. Thanksgiving is a great day because it brings families together.For some reason a lot of people thought that Thanksgiving had something to do with Natives, Pilgrims and Columbus all having a celebration when they arrived living happily ever after. The Natives welcomed them with open arms until the slaughter began. We can't give thanks for that. As long as Natives are left out of Thanksgiving, it really is a great time.

Ummm, Thanksgiving has nothing to do with Christopher Columbus. It has to do with being thankful for everything you have. It was celebrated by the pilgrims in Massachusetts, wasn't it? They had a good relationship with the native Americans, (the Iroquois, I think) and they celebrated the feast together with their native American friends. Read your history books.

Originally posted by citizen6511
reply to post by Veritas 1

 

i've listened to this nonsense for the past two days on tv news.

kids have a good time with these events, leprechauns on St Patrick day, Halloween, Thanksgiving.

might have to clean up the old cultural propaganda, but the kids love dressing up and just being kids.

lets not make schools too sterile, imo.

Exactly....More adults trying to take fun and control what they think kids should be exposed to.

Kids love holidays that they recognize. Halloween is their second fave, because they get to dress up in a cool / funny costume, and get free candy.

Yet according to some debbie downers, we don't have the right to let our kids have fun and have imaginations any more.

That's the problem, those who wrote history have not told the truth. Besides, I wasn't saying that Natives and Thanksgiving are connected. I was saying the opposite. Learn to accurately comprehend what you read instead of just skimming over the words.

Has anyone brought up the point that Dr Anne Foley must have an agenda of some kind?

At Thanksgiving, we give thanks for what we have. The Pilgrims did that with the Wampanoag tribe.

I also hope that Dr. Foley would explain the part about Columbus annihilating indigenous people. She must be referring to the Islands where he landed, as he never set for on our mainland.

There were deaths after his visits due to disease unknown to the tribes.

BTW, the mayor has a statement on the Somerville, MA city website. He doesn't seem much smarter than Dr. Foley.

Thanksgiving in Canada falls on the same date as the US celebrates Columbus Day. Thanksgiving in the US is not and it has nothing to do with Christopher Columbus.

The settlers did not have enough food to survive and the Native Americans gave them seeds and taught them how to grow corn etc. In the fall at harvest time the settlers and the Native Americans joined together in a harvest celebration...a day of Thanksgiving

Now you would think a the principle of a school would at least know some of the history of this holiday, and I would say the same for the mayor.

That's just nuts!

In case anyone is interested, the school where Dr. Anne Foley presides has failed to meet its academic requirements in certain areas for the past 2 years.

Check their own website at www.somerville.k12.ma.us...

There are letters to parents dated August 2010, and April 2011.

It is suggested that parents check teachers progress and competence.

Shouldn't they check on the principal's progress and competence?

Sorry for such a quick follow up...I just couldn't resist.

Dr. Anne Lorraine Foley's doctoral dissertation at Syracuse was titled, "Between chaos and control: Reflections on teaching, learning, power and schools."

Check this excerpt from the abstract:

QUOTE: This inquiry develops an integrated psycho-social power theory which describes four distinct, yet connected types of power. Power-to and inner power, the personal types of power, influence the social enactments of power found in power-over and power-with-others, the interpersonal types of power. Some implications for teacher practice and education as a result of these understandings are: awareness of power dynamics in the classroom and teachers' roles in enactments of power; recognition that the struggle within the uncomfortable spaces between positivistic dualisms is where connected learning can occur; creation of spaces within classrooms/schools to safely/deliberately reflect on the occurrences of the day; provision for practicing democracy in the classroom/school environment through consensual processes; use of meditative practices to access a deeper awareness of inner power. UNQUOTE

I guess she really didn't mean that part about practicing democracy in the classroom/school environment?

Oh man she's a she has a Phd? See our education system has really gone downhill.

Democracy..yeah right