STRUTHERS Holiday greeting draws ire

Some parents questioned the commitment to respecting diversity.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- Children in the city schools can wish each other Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever they please.
Contrary to rumors reported by a room full of angry parents at the board of education meeting Tuesday, school administrators did not forbid pupils from exercising their right to freedom of speech.
"The only directive that we have is that we refer to the break as a holiday break rather than associating it with one particular holiday," said Joseph Edwards, board president. That policy has not changed from previous years, he stressed.
Several parents in attendance, however, were under the assumption that children have been forbidden from making reference to any religious holiday.
Halloween
A handful referred to a letter from Dr. Sandi DiBacco, superintendent, and the principals at the new elementary school explaining why a Fall Fest replaced Halloween activities this year. That letter stated that one of the reasons Halloween was not celebrated is because some people consider it to be a religious holiday.
After listening to parents' concerns and complaints regarding the Fall Fest during last month's meeting, DiBacco said school administrators and the board are revisiting the issue. No parade was held this year, but school administrators are considering allowing children to parade around the perimeter of the building next year, she said.
They are also discussing what types of costumes should be allowed. This year some pupils were asked to remove costumes that did not fit the autumn theme of Fall Fest.
The mother of two boys who attend the elementary school said she could understand why children might not be permitted to wear scary costumes that feature "blood, gore and guts," but she couldn't understand why one of her sons was permitted to wear his football player costume while the other was told to remove his sombrero.
Parent's suggestion
Another mother offered a suggestion: "My daughter went to a Youngstown school before we came here and they celebrated 'dress for success' on Halloween. They could either dress for business or dress like a character in a book, but they had to read the book. That way they could get into the scary characters."
"That's an excellent suggestion and we'll consider it," Edwards responded.
Other parents questioned administrators' commitment to respecting the diversity of all pupils.
"If this was supposed to be a holiday program, why were eight of the 10 songs Christmas songs?" asked one mother, referring to a school concert held earlier in the evening. "Why isn't there a menorah in the school? I only saw wreaths and Christmas trees. Why were we wished Merry Christmas instead of 'happy holidays?'"
"I know you were wished happy holidays because I'm the one who said it," interjected June Logan, one of the principals at the elementary school. She went on to explain that diversity is discussed in the classrooms.
In Logan's defense, another parent volunteered that she was wished "happy holidays."