How Does Your School Celebrate Halloween?

Simple, we do nothing, children are free to celebrate Halloween at home. I see no issue with this policy to be honest.

My guy's preschool doesn't, neither does my nephew's elementary school, he's in 6th grade in a public school.

We have a "harvest party," which celebrates fall, not halloween. Still a costume parade, still jackolantern crafts, no discernible differences between a "Halloween" party and the "harvest" party. No one cares and very few notice. Perhaps because it's been in place so long.

I guess we're lucky. They are having a Fall Festival tomorrow and the Parent/Teacher Organization is putting on a Trunk or Treat on Halloween. The kids also wear their costumes to school that day. Halloween is most definitely celebrated at DD's school, thank goodness.

I, for one, am sick of the political correctness, or whatever you want to call it. I will never understand why it's okay to rob the largest section of the population of a longtime American tradition and cater to the minority, just so their feelings don't get hurt.

My daughter attends a private Catholic school and Halloween is celebrated in all it's glory. They normally are in uniforms but they get to wear their costumes to school that day and they have their classroom Halloween parties the last 2 hours of class.

At our elementary school, the first week of October, the "haunted castle"
Facade is put up in front of the school, with pumpkins.. This kicks off the month, that the school prepares for the annual Halloween Carnival.

It is generally the last fridayof the month . The kids come in their Halloween costumes and enjoy a ton of fun and food, with their families..

In middle school and high school they are allowed to dress in. Is tune, as long as it is not distracting to other students..but most do not dress up..

My children go to Catholic school and holy moly (no pun intended) it is so much fun. They have a parade where the kids compete for free dress days (three given out to each grade level), then parties in the classroom, this year any child that dresses up in a spiritual or religious costume automatically gets a free dress day. The principle dressed up as a nun last year, he looked great. Our parish priest always dresses up as well. I love going, it is a huge deal and the costumes are amazing (kids get real creative when it comes to free dress days) i sure hope your school gets to continue on. :)

My school where I work and the school my son goes to still has traditional Halloween parade and classroom parties. Parents are told they can have their child stay in the office rather than participate, and very few do, most years no one, though maybe some stay home. Usually one kindergartner stays home because the parents feel it is too scary for them but not for cultural or religous reasons , in future years the kids participate

Our school does a costume parade during school hours on the afternoon of Halloween, and a Halloween dance/party on the Friday before Halloween. I wish that being inclusive meant teaching children about other peoples customs and observing those as well as ours, instead of not celebrating anything.

In my classroom we have a fall party that day, as a culmination of fall study, and we celebrate with decorations and fall foods, and special activities.

I am okay with not having Halloween at school, as a way of being respectful to those whose religion or culture is not comfortable with such things as witches and ghosts.

Well, you are lucky they are still calling it "Halloween". The last 3 schools my kids have been to have had "Fall Festivals" or "Harvest Festivals" because they can't call it "Halloween" anymore. Something about how "Halloween" is offensive to some religions. I thought it was crazy.

When we attended these festivals, they had classroom to classroom trick or treating, fun games set up, cake walks, sometimes a haunted hallway or house set up in the cafeteria. No scary costumes were allowed. No blood, no fake weapons, and no masks. That's 3 different schools in 2 different states, same rules.

The school I used to work for had a "family resource" program that worked personally with families in need. Anyway, the lady in charge would take donations of used costumes throughout Oct. and then on Halloween give them out to any kids who didn't have them so they could participate. However, not all kids weren't participating b/c of finace, some of course, simply didn't celebrate...

My sks were not allowed to bring props like guns and swords. They could dress up, but makeup only, no masks. And no lewd or rude costumes (no slutty nurse). My DD is allowed a costume she can play in or take off that isn't scary to other kids (preschool) and no props. They will have special snacks but it sounds low-key.

I find it interesting that you are having problems in a public school but both my DD's old daycare and her current preschool are OK with something low key, though they be associated with churches.

I wonder who complained, honestly. I think that if enough people complain, they just don't want the hassle.

I'm not sure yet because we are only starting kindergarten but we just had a fall festival today. Only one part of it was "halloweenish", the 6th grade fundraising section which was pumpkin patch and a few Halloween theme games. But this is the first year they moved the festival to fall, in the past years it was a "spring spectacular" so maybe they haven't found their fall groove yet.
I do know that there is a big deal in Our district to use instructional time wisely, and elem schools are only allowed 2 class parties a year, which the staff gets to decide. Ours has chosen holiday party and end of year, so technically their should be no Halloween partying going on, I don't know yet if they get to wear costumes or not.
The elem.school I used to work at allowed kids to change into costumes the last hour of the day, and have a school wide parade and contest. They always sent out letter before saying they would provide an alternate activity for anyone who didn't want to participate. It was one of the highlights of the year though, we had a DJ and everything. I still have fond memories of it... to this day I can't hear the cha cha slide without picturing 360 kids and teachers in crazy costumes all on the blacktop dancing together :)

My son's elementary does not celebrate Halloween at all. :(

I teach high school, and our school does not celebrate Halloween at all, but I teach AP Language, and have worked it out where I teach The Crucible in October, so we are talking about witches all month. It's perfect! I also put up fall decorations and put witches and pumpkins all over my calendar (syllabus) for October because of The Crucible. My students LOVE it! I have never gotten any complaints from students or parents.

I think being inclusive does not mean taking away people's fun. This is AMERICA and Halloween (although brought over from Ireland and Scotland) is an American Holiday. What next, take away apple pie? I would have a serious problem if my school did this. BTW, I was born in a country that didn't celebrate Halloween and it's one of my favorite holidays. At home my mom dictated what we could put up and what not (like no skeletons...but I think that was just her issue) What a party pooper I would be if I told people not to celebrate because my culture doesn't celebrate. Then don't celebrate at home.

ANYWAY...my son's school does a parade and a small party. No food brought in from the outside but a craft is ok and so are goodie bags.

Our school doesn't celebrate Halloween. It's basically overlooked. But on or near Halloween, they have the story book parade. Kids come dressed as a book character, bring the book and then parade around the school. Many parents simply found books that matched their child's Halloween costume. The kids love it.

Ours has a storybook parade. The kids dress up like a character from a book and bring that book to school with them on Halloween. Then they take turns by grade doing a parade around around the school. Pretty cool, I think.

Our school does celebrate halloween,and I don't think they should. We do not celebrate it and I hate this time of year at school. If they cant celebrate Christmas because some people don't celebrate it than they should not celebrate halloween either. They should do a fall festival just like they call it a winter party. I send my kids to school to learn not to make a big deal about a holiday anyway.

The true meaning of what Halloween is is not celebrated in our school district. No costumes or the like are welcomed. It is up to each individual teacher whether or not they recognize it. In my daughter's class this year(3rd grade), as it has been for her for some years now, they're throwing a harvest party. Last year they had fruit kabobs and learned about harvesting grain. I'm not sure what the focus is going to be this year.

You just reminded me to email my daughter's teacher. In Kindergarten they weren't allowed - I'm checking to see if that's the rule throughout Elementary school.
Dressing up was a highlight of fall for me in school. I think it's sad, too. I respect differences, but Halloween is so much fun for kids to be kids.

At our kids' charter school, a Montessori school, the kids have a research project and then come to school dressed up as part of the project. One year they did their family trees. and I made my son a kilt, we fashioned a sporran, the whole outfit. Another time they were doing cell structure, and my kid went as mitochondria. Another time they had to pick their favorite president. Every year it's different. They do not allowed sugary treats, so we usually send in pencils or coupons for frosties from Wendy's.

I was invited to go in and talk to my kids' classes about the history of Halloween, and we would make rolled beeswax candles (I also did a lesson and candles for Yule). I haven't done it in years, but he kids always enjoyed it. I suppose if you consider honoring your ancestors evil, then that's how you are going to view it. We do a simple ceremony at home to acknowledge our loved ones who have died, light candles for them, and then go trick or treating. I don't rely on the school to celebrate holidays with the children, that's our job. The do a harvest Fest, but that's for Thanksgiving, not Halloween (which isn't a harvest festival, so that seems silly to me).

In the past some schools we have attended did Storybook parades and it was optional. Kids did great with coming up with ideas.

My daughter's school as a fall carnival with games, good, activities. They don't wear costumes to the carnival or school. It is a big PTA fundraiser - their main one every year - so there is always a great turnout and it is fun! They can wear Halloween clothes the day of but that's it. Her daycare does have a carnival with costumes but it is the same as with the school