Right around the holiday season, most schools try to make things a bit special for their students. From winter shows to creative projects, teachers are always trying to make the holidays merry and bright.
Right around the holiday season, most schools try to make things a bit special for their students. From winter shows to creative projects, teachers are always trying to make the holidays merry and bright.
Teachers often ask students to each bring in something to contribute to the party, so that there's enough food to go around and it's not coming directly out of their own pockets — seeing as much of their supplies do.
Some teachers like to keep it small, while others make it a family event, inviting parents to join in on the fun.
Parents often disagree with certain policies, knowing that some children cannot control their circumstances and life.
Takaria Scott took to Facebook when she noticed a questionable phrase on a note sent to parents informing them of the class' upcoming holiday party.
It informed parents of the date and time of the party, and asked them to write down what they planned on contributing as a snack.
Takaria posted the note, highlighting the phrase that stuck out to her as odd and not in the spirit of the holidays.
At the bottom of the letter, the teacher said:
“My philosophy is: if they don’t bring anything they don’t eat anything.”
Given that it's not always possible for families to make a contribution, it seems like this philosophy was setting children up to be excluded.
She said: "Now for these kids to be between 6-7yrs this should not be a philosophy. Kids are kids man. This is definitely not acceptable in my eyes.”
The teacher's note drew a lot of criticism from parents online and sparked some interesting conversations.
Sometimes, kids come from single-parent households or low-income families — sometimes they cannot afford to bring in food for the class.
If a parent forgets or can't provide something, the kids shouldn't have to suffer.
It's a simple mistake anyone can make — especially a six or seven-year-old child.
Many teachers are already paying out of pocket for school supplies, so they might not have the funds to pay for extra party food. If that was the case, the teacher could have explained it to parents in a better way.
When they are this young, children don't fully have control over these situations or understand what's going on. Something like being left out of a party could be difficult for them to comprehend.
The superintendent wrote: "We want our students to view school as a safe space. Our students should know when they come to school, that they are in an environment where they are nurtured by their teacher.”
"All students will participate and no students will be made to feel uncomfortable if they don’t bring refreshments,” the letter said.
"Thanks [to] you all that reached out in this matter as well!!! It was handled!!!" she said in a Facebook update that accompanied the letter sent by the school administration.
Parents know that it's important to make sure all kids feel accepted, and it's nice to see parents sticking up for kids who aren't even their own.