Dear Ms McClure:

By CURT CLARK

Published: Dec 26, 2003 12:00 am

Dear Ms McClure:

As a grandparent of a kindergarten student at Hawley School, I was delighted to attend their wonderful holiday concert, âThe Gingerbread Revue.â I am sure that a lot of hard work by the teachers and teacher assistants made this super holiday show possible and it was very entertaining to see the children perform with such gusto and joy.

I am concerned, however, that the holiday displays in the performance room and in the classrooms do not reflect a balanced representation of symbols of the holiday season from a cultural and religious view.

The backdrop on the stage depicted a Star of David. In the classroom, cutouts of the menorah were displayed along with drawings and cutouts of the traditional holiday tree. While the Christmas tree is considered a secular symbol, the menorah is a religious one.

The program included many secular songs and two songs celebrating Hanukkah (Chanukah). There were no Christmas songs such as âSilent Night,â âAway in a Manger,â âWe Three Kings,â âThe Drummer Boy,â etc, presented. These are songs that have been traditionally associated with Christmas for decades and should be a part of any Christmas season presentation.

Christmas is an American holiday and has been ever since it was designated a national holiday by the US Congress in 1870. It was declared more than 11 times in executive orders. The birth of Christ with the display of a Nativity scene can be displayed alongside the representations of symbols of other faiths.

The Star of David is a hexagram used as a symbol of Judaism. The Hanukkah candles celebrate the Jewish Festival lasting eight days in commemoration of the rededication of the Temple by the Maccabees following their victory over the Syrians characterized chiefly by the lighting of the menorah on each night of the festival. The Star of Bethlehem represents the star that guided the Magi (the Three Kings or Wise Men) to the manger of the infant Jesus. Christmas is the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus, celebrated on December 25.

It is obvious that all of these symbols and icons founded in religious history should be part of a balanced exhibit at all public places including our schools at this time of the year.Â

I respectfully request that our school district reexamine the directives sent to schools that lead to unfair and unbalanced policies regarding the display or presentation of nonsecular symbols of all religions during the holiday season. The great majority of families served by this district follow some order of Christian faith and there seems to be no recognition of this fact in our schools.

Sincerely,

Judith Q. Caracciolo

Schoolhouse Hill Road, NewtownÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â December 21, 2003

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