N.J. school nixes Halloween celebrations, cites diversity

Halloween should be celebrated at home, not at school.

That was the message one New Jersey elementary school sent to parents last week as a reminder that students will not be having Halloween parties at school. In a letter home to parents on Oct. 12, Seth Boyden Elementary School Principal Mark Quiles, and PTA Co-Presidents Amelia Riekenberg and Donna Upton, said the school's diversity prompted the Halloween celebration decision.

"One of the strengths of Seth Boyden is that we are such a diverse community, with many cultures represented, and that we truly value each one," they wrote in the note.

"In the past, in-school celebrations of Halloween have made many of our students feel left out... (and as) a result, after careful consultation and deliberation, we have decided not to hold in-school Halloween activities."

According to the letter, about 20 percent of the school's student body did not participate in last year's celebrations, either while they were at school or by choosing to stay home on Halloween.


[link to www.nj.com]