Chapter E - School Operations

Part 10.0 Unity and Diversity

Section 10.3 Celebrations

Paragraph 10.3.1 Religious Holidays

Policy Statement:

Holiday Celebrations

Although we teach about many of our nation's holidays in our curriculum, we do not use academic time in class to celebrate them. Listed below are some of these holidays and the ways they are acknowledged:

Constitution Day (September 17) - APA has a special Constitution Day program every year that is live-streamed on Facebook, and parents can watch/hear the reading of the entire Constitution and Bill of Rights on Constitution Day.

Halloween - It is important for teachers and parents to remember that we don't celebrate or even acknowledge Halloween.

Veterans Day - We celebrate Veteran's Day with a school-wide assembly where we honor our invited veteran guests. The students also participate in writing activities that express their respect and appreciation for our nation's veterans.

Thanksgiving Day - The Builder theme for November focuses on being grateful and expressing that gratitude through word and deed.

Religious Holidays (Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Ramadan, etc. - These holidays will be discussed as part of the curriculum and to help students understand what others in our school are doing and experiencing. We may sing songs from these or other similar holidays as part of the curriculum in our music classes.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - The contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. are discussed around this day.

President's Day - We talk about Presidents around President's Day.

Valentine's Day - We focus on the Builder theme of "caring and sharing" during the month of February. We encourage students to show they care by doing good deeds for others all during the month. Often, the school participates in a school-wide service project during February. We ask that students not bring items that will be visible or distracting during the day such as balloons, confetti, large stuffed animals, etc.

Memorial Day – Students perform and participate in a school-wide assembly and learn about the meaning and history of this holiday. Students, parents, and staff have the opportunity to participate in a "poppy fundraising drive" to benefit veterans.