We also do not celebrate Halloween. I am glad to hear someone is taking this issue to the school. I have to keep my children out of our public school on Halloween and do not attend Halloween related events at the school. I think these types of event are more appropriately celebrated in the home or after school and should not be exlusionary.
I think it is absolutely an appropriate idea to change your theme to include only fall related activities. I don't think any kids (including your own) should be excluded from public school related activities based on their beliefs. I don't think that you are pushing your ideas onto someone else. I'm guessing your school (like most) does not have celebrations around religious holidays such as Christmas. You wouldn't hold a Christmas celebration and exclude Jewish or Muslim, etc children in your school. I don't see this as any different.
I also think that a "fall" theme affords itself to some educational opportunities as well. It could be a tie in to units in the classroom on the seasonal cycles of trees, plants, animals and insects for example. It could be used as a history lesson to talk about how Early Americans or Native Americans prepared for fall/winter or as a lead into discussions around Thanksgiving.
I would also share your concern with your principal. It sounds like there a lots of issues around the activities your school has traditionally done. The idea of having to sign a waiver before participating suggests that the principal has some concerns as well.
Last year we had a huge tv plugged in with a few kids movies, but this year I will replace that with someone reading harvest-october based books.
We have 3 tables with a different craft at each table.
3 tables with games. a pumkin toss (bean bags tossed into pumpkins) for instance
a table for tattoos (pta volunteers applying 1 tattoo/student)
a table with a guessing contest (a jar full of candy corns) each class together puts in one guess and the classroom closest wins cookies and cider
a table with donut holes and cider
a table to decorate a paper bag so they can carry all of their things.
This year we are having the 6th grade, because they dont participate in the festivites for the day, each homeroom is givin supplies to decorate a scarecrow and they will be voted on by the kids.
everything is decorated with a harvest theme. Hay bales, apples, pumpkins, scarecrows and decorations made by kids.
I totally agree with President Jim. I really respect your religious beliefs re:Halloween that is fine but you need to respect the feelings of others also. With change comes alot of complaining ,especially when it comes to yearly traditional events. People come to expect certain traditions and look forward to them. Have the VP or other officer lead the event and just get a report so you know what exactly is going on and that it will run smoothly and you know what is going on. How about a Harvest festival? My nephew's school had one a few years ago that was great. A cake walk, square dancers who performed, games, a chili contest, they sold bandanas and sheriffs badges. They also made cardboard cut outs the ones you put your head in and took pictures. It was awesome and not specifically Halloween themed. best of Luck with your event and have a great fall!
When my son was in pre-K they had a "Bookoween" where all the children dressed up as a character from one of their favorite books. The books were regulated to what was available through the "library" at the establishment.
They had a blast and everyone seemed to have a great time.
"Is it fair for me to change this because I don't agree with this???"
IMO, no, it's not. As the President you need to now understand that you are in charge of a group that involves people of all backgrounds and beliefs. As such you need to be open to ideas that normally you may not be.
That doesn't mean you can't do anything different. But you may want to ask yourself why you want to make the changes...
If you want to do away with the "haunted hallway" because of safety concerns, then that is fair. But you also need to remember that the hallway is likely the area of the event that the kids enjoy the most. Instead of doing away with it, is there a way for it to be changed so that the kinds of things that were happening won't? Changing the entire theme of the event from things that may do with Halloween to onyl Fall... is this for reasons other than your personal beliefs?
IMO, if an event such as this nature is against your beliefs, then why not stay out of it? Hopefully you have an event chair. If you are the event chair then I would have questions why you took on this responsibility having never attended in the past and not being in aggreance with the event in general. So allow you event chair to run it. Let her take care of posting thr waiver. Let her deal with what will and will not be in the hallway...
Does the President have to be at every event run every year?... of course not.
Now on the other hand you do as President need to ensure that the event runs well, that all steps are taken to ensure safety and that no one's beliefs are not taken into account...
Now each year we have a Harvest Hoopla event that sounds similar to yours. This was an idea that I brought to the school two years ago and each year we add on it. We allow the children to wear costumes, but ensure that the constumes are appropriate (nothing scary, nothing gory, no blood, etc.). We have had a gypsie tent, a wizard telling a story, a couple of old crones mixing a brew and event a mad scientists lab. The kids loved all of these. This year we are adding to the event by having a "hanuted hallway", just like your event. We're going to promote it as "for the older kids". We will also try to focus on startling affects and not overly scary or gory things. I also do not award prizes for costumes and make a point of indicating that they are totally optional.
So the point is that steps can be taken to try to limit the concerns that you have, but doing away with the main theme of an event just because you yourself do not agree with the holiday would probably not be the best idea and will likely take away from the kids' fun.
