I got a note from a parent who had apparently learned that the NAIS will be having “Team Dress-Up Day” instead of allowing the kids to wear their Halloween costumes during the Fall Celebration (a.k.a. Halloween).
I couldn’t find any info on the NAIS Web site, but did see the school calendar mention the PTO Fall Celebration would be on 10/30.
Apparently each classroom will construct costumes representing their ‘team’ name and wear them.
Now I understand that some kids are probably thinking Halloween isn’t ‘cool’ as they are getting older, but considering this is 4 – 6 grade and roughly 9 to 12 year old kids, I’d guess most are going trick-or-treating and will have costumes. It is fun for them to see what their friends are wearing especially when they don’t live near one another and can’t see them on Halloween night.
A parade around the grounds that allow them to see one another and have a little party with refreshments would seem like a fun activity.
What do you think – go with the construct your own team gear or Halloween costume during the Fall Celebration?
8 comments:
This is a goofy idea. Let them wear their costumes.
They never see the rest of their "team" during the day. I guess they'll know who they are since they'll be dressed the same.....
On the one hand I think the kids would like the costume idea, but on the other, I feel it's important to support our school. This is a new building with new procedures and they are attempting to build a school wide community full of spirit. Perhaps this is the thought that motivated this decision. I don't know who actually decided it, but it may have been a PTO decision and if someone is unhappy, then perhaps they should become more involved in PTO. I know this PTO is working to get more members involved and they are trying to provide activities to unify a school. On a sidebar, there is also the issue of diversity. There are some who do not celebrate halloween, this provides an opportunity for all.
it is more than just no halloween costume parade...it is no playground equipment...no turkey lunch day...no field trips...no planned fun nights, socials or dances...
the district reconfigured the grades to remove/protect the 6th grade from the 7th and 8th graders but in doing so managed to remove our 4th and 5th graders from their elementary setting...something admin said they were not going to allow to happen..the IS was billed as an extension to our elementary building
I have it from a reliable source that the teacher moral in the Intermediate school is very low. Teachers offer ideas and suggestions for student activities and the principal does not accept the ideas because the idea is not his. The various grade levels are having a celebration on the 30th, but not a costume parade. The parade is geared to reflect community and school spirit. How can you work on school spirit is the students are not allowed to "buy into" any ideas. It's a joke.
It appears as if the theme for the building this year is data collection. During the first 12 days of school, students had taken 15 different tests or assessments; math, science, reading and language arts. What is going on?? This is the way you instill an appreciation for school and leaning by hammering the kids with test after test?? Get real.What can we expect when students take the Spring PSSA's?? Time will tell.
zeroperson you are spot on...
take a look at the Shafer PTA sponsored events and activities:
RIF
Field Trips
Reflections Art Program(nat'l arts competition)
School Store
Book Publishing (each kid publishes a book!!)
Harvest Family Activity Night (replaced the Harvest Dance)
Bingo Night/Pig Races
Movie Night
Spaghetti Dinner
Holiday Shop
Ice Cream Social
Game Show Night
Egg Hunt & Breakfast
Festival (the big end of year celebration)
Now look at what the Intermediate school PTO has planned:
Family Fun Night & Orientation for incoming 3rd graders
No Joke..i am involved with both the pto and pta so i see it firsthand...and I know the other two elementary schools have lots to offer their students and families as well...
So how do you think intermediate students are going to feel about their school when their younger siblings trot off to all these fun, social elementary activities and they have none? now maybe the IS will add events, it is a new school, but like the previous post says i have heard there is a great deal of resistance
as for no planned field trips at this point for the IS bldg, no money available we are told...and the 3 elementary PTA's decided to only to give 4.5K of their cumulative approximate opening operating budget of 60K even though they have 1/3 less of the student population to serve...that was decided among the pta officers, pta members got no say as it didn't go out to vote to us
parents please speak up...our kids deserve more
exactly
The Intermediate school had a fund raiser a few weeks ago. Students got parents, family and friends to pledge pennies or dollars for each lap the students walked around the basketball court. At the last PTO meeting it was announced that the kids raised over $15,000. That is a very nice chunk of change to jump start a school's PTO budget. And the irony of the thing was the building principal was not there. Needless to say, parents were not to happy. Parents need to make phone calls to the principal, write letters asking what plans are in place for their child's enrichment via field trips and speakers coming into the building.
A community within a school is not based upon one person's point of view. The staff is quite diversified; from young first year teachers to older more seasoned staff. Their talents should be tapped into to so that the kids have the greatest experience possible in grade 4, 5, and 6.
The principal and staff are "public servants" within the community. The principal sets the tone. As far as I can tell, the tone is one of self centeredness.
Students and their interests are not a high priority. And that is a shame.
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