Buckman School Bans Halloween Costumes Parents of Buckman Elementary, an arts magnet school in SE Portland, are petitioning the principal overturn a new ban on Halloween costumes. Parents, reportedly including Sleater-Kinney's Corin Tucker, gathered in front of the school wearing witch hats earlier this week gathering signatures on a pro-costume petition which they say now runs to over 250 names. Buckman Principal Brian Anderson broke the no-costume news to parents in a letter last week. The note argues for replacing the spooky spirit of Halloween with the spirit of equity: For many reasons, the celebration of Halloween at school can lead to student exclusion. There are social, financial and cultural differences among our families that we must respect. The spirit of equity has led most PPS (Portland Public Schools) schools, including most elementary schools, to deemphasize the celebration of Halloween at school.One angry parent, Shannon Brazil, blogged her reaction: "This country’s obsession with the politically correct is really getting out of hand." Dwight Reid is another parent who signed the petition—his third grader and fifth grader dressed up last year as a Hogwarts student and Ghostbuster. "I have no problem keeping away the sugary treats, but you have to remember that this is an arts focused school. It attracts a certain kind of parent who is really into their kids being creative and dressing up," says Reid. So will the school actually send home kids who show up in costumes, as parents worry? I've got a call in to the principal's office to find out. Update 1:33 PM—Principal Brian Anderson responds by clarifying that this is the second year that Buckman has banned costumes and parties with sugary treats. Anderson says the school site council, school PTA, and 90 percent of the staff agreed that Buckman shouldn't be having Halloween at school because it excludes kids. "We're pushing our traditions on an ever-changing population," says Anderson. "I used to work at Kelly Elementary [at SE 92nd and Foster] and the school was 40 percent Russian. The Russian kids wouldn't come to school that day because people were dressing up and celebrating Halloween. Halloween is, in many ways, personal to some people and to other people it's very offensive." Instead, the school will be celebrating a "Harvest Festival" during school on Monday, October 31, when teachers are encouraged to host some sort of fall party with pumpkin carving and the like. If kids do show up in costumes that violate the Portland Public Schools dress code, says Anderson, the school will phone their parents to either bring them new clothes or give them something different to wear. http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com...chool-bans-halloween-costumes#comment-4929984
My elementary school would do a Halloween carnival every year as a fun event and a small fundraiser. Everyone would come dressed up and parents would volunteer to man booths and bring candy, and people would donate prizes for bingo. I had a lot of fun at those. Sounds like something like that wouldn't be PC anymore...
When I was a boy the teachers would fondle our balls on Good Friday. I suppose that wouldn't be allowed these days. barfo
The Religious Right has opposed Halloween since the Reagan 80s. They don't like the occult. For 2 reasons--that and the crime paranoia pushed on us by the media--there are about 1% as many kids out now as in the 50s and 60s. I usually get about 3 visits now the whole night, but last time I got zero. It used to be dozens, and much larger groups.
This has nothing to do with the religious right. I live in one of the reddest damn parts of Houston, and in our school totally supports costumes. This is more about the asinine political correctness of this country. Luckily for us, we still get to celebrate Halloween and Christmas....yes I said CHRISTmas. We also don't have to worry about special classes and announcements in Spanish. If you want to go to our school, learn the damn language
Yeah, 5 years ago 2 bags of candy was not enough. Now we get 5 or 6 kids and I end up with a bunch of candy.
That's correct. I only buy one bag now, yet I have more candy to eat after Halloween than I did as a kid. You might say, why not give great big portions to the 3 groups who come by all night, but why would I give those little heathen punks my candy?
Yeah kids don't go trick-or-treating much anymore and when they do it is to the mall or some crap, and just the little little kids. I remember one time in the early 90s being out for hours and when we got back the kids were still coming to the house in droves, so we took all the candy we didn't like out of our bags and regifted the Zero bars, candy corn, and other junk to the latecomers. My parents used to get a couple hundred kids and now they just eat the candy themselves in front of the TV since nobody's knocking. And yes in all fairness Christians have been after Halloween for a minute already so this isn't the PC police taking initiative.
Then I'd get all their candy, but it'd be too hard to pull the razor blades back out. Fortunately I'm 5-1 with a twisted crinkled nose, so I can go trick or treat myself without a mask. I like to make the housewives scream.
If you send your little kid out in the dark, can you be arrested now? The police state has taken the fun out of the American culture.
