A Balanced Approach

To The Holiday Season

(The following open letter to Board of Education Chairman Elaine McClure has been received for publication. It was sent in response to a letter to the editor that appeared in The Bee on 12/26/03.)

Dear Elaine:

The purpose of this letter is to address the issue of Hawley School providing a balanced approach to the holiday season. We are motivated to inform you and the members of the Newtown Board of Education that Jo-Ann Peters and the faculty at Hawley School should be commended for their continuous efforts to improve the balance of representing religious and cultural diversity in public school festivities.

As the parents of second and third grade Hawley students, we have had the opportunity to work with seven different teachers as our children learn to exercise their First Amendment right. In our household, the December season can be difficult because we are a religious minority in town. As you may know, the seasonal focus on Christmas can be quite overwhelming to a youngster who does not celebrate the holiday in their household. As parents, we have decided to provide a solid religious education for our children by enrolling them in a private religious school. We believe this is where children should receive religious education.

As taxpayers, we are looking to the public school system in Newtown to provide a public education for our children and not to favor one religion over any other. To that end, when the public school curriculum includes a religious aspect, such as seasonal holidays and celebrations, we feel strongly that our children should not get the impression that one set of holidays or beliefs is more important –– regardless of the religious majority in town.

Obviously no presentation can satisfy all groups all the time, but overall, our family has greatly appreciated the consideration and willingness to openly have the dialog and enact positive change. As very involved Hawley parents, we strongly endorse the efforts that the faculty at Hawley School has made to provide a balanced approach to the very small part religion plays in public school.

In closing, please know that during our tenure at Hawley we have found that each year the faculty continuously seeks to refine its approach to the precarious balance of enriching our children with the spirit of the seasonal holidays while striving not to offend any group or individual. We therefore endorse existing policies that permit our school to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of its student body.

Warm Regards,

Lisa and Stephen Chaloux

33 Old Green Road, Sandy Hook                            December 30, 2003