Three of them have significant religious connotations: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Clinton directed his education secretary, Richard W. Reilly, to provide every public school district in America with a statement of principles addressing the extent to which religious expression and activity are permitted. The game provides a low-risk way for students to share information about their experiences and backgrounds. School diversity. I became more religious on my own when I was a teenager. A few years ago, a (...) 1. music teacher in a school near Grand Rapids, Mich., told me (this...) story. How to Handle the Holidays in a Public School Classroom This blog post will help you plan for a holiday season in your classroom that is both inclusive and educational. September 16, 2002. These guidelines titled "Religious Expression … Become familiar with the nature and needs of the religious groups Here are some ideas to help you highlight multicultural and religious holidays appropriately, and select the right activities and materials: Recognize various talents and accomplishments when focusing on people. It also can leave students with false impressions about the importance of holidays in other faith traditions. If you don't have an account. Public school teachers have the power to tear down these walls and to use religious topics to help us better understand ourselves and each other. 1 The Bible may be taught in a school, but only for its historical, cultural or literary value and never in a devotional, celebratory or doctrinal manner, or in such a way that encourages acceptance of the Bible as a religious document. A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center ©1991-2020. It’s when teachers try to give their opinions or influence others that it’s not okay. “In odd numbered years, Wife shall have the first half of the Christmas break from school and Husband shall have the second half of the break from school. Easter – Good Friday & Easter Monday bank holidays (10 th & 13 th April in 2020). They warrant decoration and festive dress and often come with a set of rules that we abide by for the sake of the day and our faith. If you would like to volunteer to share a cultural holiday, meal, or celebration with us, please contact me via the signature information below.”. Develop policies about the treatment of religious holidays in the curricula and inform parents of those policies. Students gain a more nuanced understanding of the neighboring indigenous traditions by hearing in person from a local leader. (n.d.). Holidays are stressful enough, but if you’re a non-believer—or even a liberal Christian—with right-wing Christian relatives, things can be even harder. There is perhaps no greater example of this than Christmas in the U.S., where Santa and his reindeer are as likely to be discussed as Jesus, whose birth the holiday acknowledges. However, one of the functions of the federal, state and local governments and the public school systems is to declare holidays. This schedule shall reverse for the even numbered years.” Then ask students questions such as “Who has a sibling?” or “Who has lived in another country?” and have any students with that experience stand on the line. According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as many state constitutions, it is illegal for employers to take discriminatory actions towards their employees because of their religion. For example, after viewing, I will ask students to write a paragraph about an element of the film. I usually include a section that reads: “We are excited to learn about each other’s families, cultures, holidays, and celebrations throughout the school year. Holidays teach us history and the foundations of our society, deepening our understanding of ourselves and others. Also remember, encouraging or compelling students to participate in religious activities like prayer is never OK. Holidays that create a 3-day weekend because of Monday school and office closings are often good opportunities for short trips and other events. In an effort to be affirming, reflective, and critical about how we approach and celebrate holidays as school communities, we offer a list of resources for educators and families that aims to provide inclusive understanding of religious holidays celebrations and strategies for supporting all students. Editor’s note: The following section on religious holidays contains consensus guidelines drafted and endorsed by a broad range of 17 religious and educational groups. avoid penalizing students for religious observance, school calendars should be prepared, to the greatest extent feasible, so as not to conflict with religious holidays of all faiths. If a country's or region's holidays are already added to your calendar, the box for the country is checked in the Add Holidays to Calendar dialog box. When I get more diverse classrooms, I do my best to celebrate more prominent holidays, learn about ones that would be new to most of my students, and at least share a quick video or do a small activity to acknowledge them. There is, however, the potential for problems when you discuss religious themes in a public school, like a parent complaining that you are preaching. To avoid penalizing students for religious observance, school calendars should be prepared, to the greatest extent feasible, so as not to conflict with religious holidays of all faiths. Teaching about religion is also encouraged in the National Standards for History, published by the National Center for History in the Schools. How did these holidays and traditions develop? I’m full of warm and fuzzy memories of holiday celebrations from my time as a student: the annual Thanksgiving dinner in the gymnasium, the Halloween parade of costumes, Christmas concert preparations and presentations, and Easter egg painting. The students can still be required to comply with all other aspects of it. One route is to be honest but brief about your own religious identity. He considers himself more spiritual than any kind of religion. Christmas – 25 th & 26 th December bank holidays. about holidays in school can broaden children’s awareness of their own and other’s cultural experiences, if they are thoughtfully used as part of a more inclu-sive curriculum about cultural diversity (Derman-Sparks, et al., ABC Task Force, 1989, p. 86). Although it's desirable to examine secular traditions that relate to holidays, students should understand the difference between secular and religious meanings. He usually also burns sweetgrass as part of this activity, and my students have always been interested and engaged in this experience that is foreign to most of them. Select holidays and religious celebrations based on your classroom representation. Hanukkah, for example, receives much attention in schools because usually it falls in December, yet Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are actually "higher holidays" of the Jewish faith. The BBC's Directory of World Religions offers useful fact sheets about numerous holidays. Furthermore, “The topic of this [holidays… Resources for Educators on the Winter Holidays: Identity Collage: Students can create and present a visual collage that represents their ancestry, religion, and family. When inquiry is restricted in this way, it's often done to disguise that Christian Christmas is being favored. Religious holidays occur throughout the year. 3. How to Handle Religious Holidays in Public Schools. School phases: All Make sure you know how to handle requests for absence from both pupils and staff during religious events. Do not focus on holidays solely in December. While some religious holidays always fall on the same day every year, many others depend on lunar calendar. There are many religious holidays that man has set up in his desire to worship. 10 Questions: Ask students to create a list of 10 get-to-know-you questions, and then allow students to interact with each other. We’ve burned sweetgrass, displayed traditional costumes from various cultures, danced to traditional holiday songs from many areas of the world—and of course cooked and tried many holiday dishes. These guidelines are intended to reflect current law in this area, though on some questions there may be no controlling Supreme Court opinion and the lower courts may be divided. Because some students and parents may be resistant at first, I send a message home at the beginning of the school year outlining our purpose in celebrating different holidays as part of my general introduction letter. Can Employees Take Time Off from Work for Religious Holidays? One answer to this is How to handle religious holidays in public schools, a reference guide in the form of questions and answers from the First Amendment Center. My mother was raised in a kosher home. Use the multi-faith calendars available from Harvard's Pluralism Project and the BBC to create a yearlong schedule of high holidays to include as part of classroom study. Focus on a holiday's origins, history and general meaning, as well as how and when they are observed. Religious holidays are some of the very first holidays that we remember celebrating. My favorite way to expand our focus is to start with a History Channel video about holidays and traditions from a variety of cultures and religions. The celebration, commotion, and commercialism surrounding Christmas can normally preoccupy many during the holiday season. Expand the focus beyond North American holidays and traditions. Learning about them allows for academic study and discussion about why they exist. , as well as how and when they are short and engaging, and family your own religious.! Not okay of those policies 10 th & 13 th April in )! Well as how and when they are short and engaging, and then allow to... 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