A School Canceled Mother's Day In A Step Toward Inclusivity, But The Internet Is Divided On The Decision
http://www.king5.com/news/school-cancels-mothers-day-in-effort-to-celebrate-diversity/437934897
https://www.bustle.com/p/a-school-c...the-internet-is-divided-on-the-decision-56751
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ByLara Rutherford-Morrison
21 hours ago
Making cards and crafts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is a common activity for school children, but should those projects take place at home? Teachers at a Canadian elementary school think so. This month, the school cancelled Mother’s Day and Father’s Day activities in order to be more inclusive of non-traditional families. However, the decision has proven to be divisive, especially as coverage of the controversy has grown on the internet.
Recently, parents of students at Albert McMahon Elementary School in Mission, British Columbia, received a letter notifying them of a new policy regarding Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. It read,
Wilson said. “Instead, there has been a recent trauma involving a student and its parents.”
School cancels Mother's Day in effort to celebrate diversity https://t.co/AUwvEMIbsi pic.twitter.com/yh8k5MPzjU
— KGW News (@KGWNews) May 9, 2017
The letter was shared hundreds of times after Roy Glebe, a parent at the school, posted it on Facebook. Glebe certainly had a negative reaction to the decision, writing,
one commenter wrote. “I don't think I could handle that at 30, let alone 10. I would probably vomit and leave that room in tears.”
Others, however, lamented the loss of what they regard as a tradition. “There is no better feeling than watching the pure excitement and pride in your child when they give you the treasure they lovingly made for you. The secret work at school finally unveiled....I will miss it,” one person commented. Another proposed having children make crafts for other members of their families, writing, “[N]ot everyone has this tradition but cancelling the creative process altogether for those who don't celebrate this tradition is definitely a slap in the face for those who do. As a preschool teacher, I have had many experiences with diverse families. I have always encouraged my students to choose a parent/guardian/grandparent or that someone who is special to them on these occasions.”
In an interview with the CBC, Superintendent Wilson said that there were “issues with how this was communicated.” He said, however, that the policy change “has nothing to do with the value of Mother's Day or civic holidays,” but rather was made in reaction to “trauma” experienced by a student.
http://www.king5.com/news/school-cancels-mothers-day-in-effort-to-celebrate-diversity/437934897
https://www.bustle.com/p/a-school-c...the-internet-is-divided-on-the-decision-56751
Share
ByLara Rutherford-Morrison
21 hours ago
Making cards and crafts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is a common activity for school children, but should those projects take place at home? Teachers at a Canadian elementary school think so. This month, the school cancelled Mother’s Day and Father’s Day activities in order to be more inclusive of non-traditional families. However, the decision has proven to be divisive, especially as coverage of the controversy has grown on the internet.
Recently, parents of students at Albert McMahon Elementary School in Mission, British Columbia, received a letter notifying them of a new policy regarding Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. It read,
Wilson said. “Instead, there has been a recent trauma involving a student and its parents.”
School cancels Mother's Day in effort to celebrate diversity https://t.co/AUwvEMIbsi pic.twitter.com/yh8k5MPzjU
— KGW News (@KGWNews) May 9, 2017
The letter was shared hundreds of times after Roy Glebe, a parent at the school, posted it on Facebook. Glebe certainly had a negative reaction to the decision, writing,
one commenter wrote. “I don't think I could handle that at 30, let alone 10. I would probably vomit and leave that room in tears.”
Others, however, lamented the loss of what they regard as a tradition. “There is no better feeling than watching the pure excitement and pride in your child when they give you the treasure they lovingly made for you. The secret work at school finally unveiled....I will miss it,” one person commented. Another proposed having children make crafts for other members of their families, writing, “[N]ot everyone has this tradition but cancelling the creative process altogether for those who don't celebrate this tradition is definitely a slap in the face for those who do. As a preschool teacher, I have had many experiences with diverse families. I have always encouraged my students to choose a parent/guardian/grandparent or that someone who is special to them on these occasions.”
In an interview with the CBC, Superintendent Wilson said that there were “issues with how this was communicated.” He said, however, that the policy change “has nothing to do with the value of Mother's Day or civic holidays,” but rather was made in reaction to “trauma” experienced by a student.
