hunters
creek elementary
May 2005
HCE
Background
In
response to questions raised by Hunters Creek Elementary (HCE) parents and
teachers, the HCE administration formed a diversified task force to create
guidelines regarding treatment of religious holidays at our school. These guidelines have been adopted as a means
to assist teachers in developing school programs and planning lessons,
activities and projects during the holidays.
Through open discussions between parents, teachers and school
administrators, consensus was reached on guidelines that all could support. The task
force acknowledged that continued open communication among parents, teachers
and the HCE administration is essential for these guidelines to be successfully
implemented.
These
guidelines are intended to help parents and teachers understand HCE’s
philosophies about religious holidays and our school. HCE is committed to the constitutional
principle of the separation of church and state and therefore neither advances
nor inhibits religion. We are, however,
committed to the needs of our students and to achieving balance and consistency
out of respect for religious diversity.
In order to further promote these goals, the school intends to purchase
new resources, primarily comprised of books for the library and classrooms.
Policy Statements
Teaching About
Religion. HCE supports teaching about religion where the Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) guide and/or curriculum indicates it is appropriate
for the grade level and when the classroom atmosphere encourages both teachers
and students to be responsible and to respect the rights of each person. In developing age-appropriate programs,
lessons, activities or projects that involve teaching about religious holidays,
teachers in each grade level will work together to achieve balance and
consistency among their grade level. Any
school programs, lessons, activities and projects involving religious holidays
should be academic, increase a student’s awareness of various different
beliefs, and promote understanding and mutual respect. Teaching about religion
should not be devotional or testimonial nor should teachers sponsor the
practice of religion or acceptance of any one religion. When teaching about religious holidays,
teachers should not impose any one view about a particular religion or religion
in general, and should not try to conform students to any particular belief.
Holidays in the
Classroom. On the elementary level, natural
opportunities arise for discussion of religious holidays while children learn
about different cultures and communities.
Recognition of and information about holidays may focus only on how and
when they are celebrated, their origins, histories and generally agreed-upon
secular and spiritual meanings, while taking into account the
age-appropriateness for the grade level.
Before planning a religious holiday activity, teachers should ensure the
activity 1) is not designed in any way to inhibit or promote religion, 2) serves
the academic goals of the curriculum or TEKS guide, 3) is not a religious
holiday celebration and 4) will minimize the risks of
making any student or parent feel like an outsider. Teachers in each grade level will work
together to ensure a consistent approach within the grade level regarding
religious holidays and related projects, programs, presentations, discussions
or other classroom or homework activities.
Religious Symbols. Religious symbols may be used as
examples of cultural or religious heritage in connection with specific teaching
activities relating to religious holidays.
Display of religious symbols will be temporary. Their display may be only as a teaching aide
and not for decorative or devotional purposes.
The school and our PTA plans to purchase a selection of symbols which
may be shared by grade level teams and utilized by teachers in planning
lessons, activities and projects during the holidays.
Religious Music. The primary purpose of the inclusion
of religious music in performances or instruction must be academic, not
devotional, and must contribute to the curriculum and/or TEKS objectives for
the grade level. Performance and
instruction must reflect religious diversity.
December. HCE does not sponsor religious devotions or
celebrations. Instead our teachers
strive to instruct about religion only where appropriate for
the grade level under the TEKS guide and in a way that both teachers and students
respect the rights of each person. Our
teachers will devise lessons, activities and projects during December that
serve an educational purpose for all students – lessons, activities and
projects that are structured so as to minimize the risk that any student feels
excluded or identifies with a religion not his or her own. Additionally, teachers should not try to
“balance” celebrating one religious holiday with the celebration of a different
religious holiday. Instead, teachers
should work to ensure that all December holiday activities focus on objective study about various December celebrations. Ideals that are shared by many cultures, such
as peace, brotherhood, kindness, sharing, are themes that could be used as
themes for projects during December.
Q & A
1. Which holidays are appropriate to discuss in
the classroom?
At
our place of learning, we recognize the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that public
schools may not sponsor religious practices, but may teach about religion. HCE staff
supports the natural opportunities that arise for discussing religious holidays
while studying different cultures and communities. All instruction and discussion of cultures
and communities in the context of religious holidays will be based on the TEKS
guidelines and/or curriculum. In
addition, lessons will be age-appropriate and teachers within grade levels will
be consistent in their delivery of holiday instruction, discussion, displays
and activities. Teachers will refer to
the comprehensive multi-cultural holiday calendar for ideas and lesson
development. Finally, grade level
teachers will consider the demographics of the student population when creating
lessons.
2. What holiday decorations may teachers have in
their classrooms and how long can these be displayed?
The
use of religious symbols, provided they are used only as an example of cultural
and religious heritage, is permitted as a teaching aid or resource and as a
part of the TEKS objectives and/or the curriculum. These symbols must be temporary and may be
displayed only for the length of time that the instructional activity
requires. HCE’s guidelines require that
no religion may be shown preference over another and that all religious holiday
decorations in December also should be displayed for only the length of time
that the instructional activity requires. Students may choose to create artwork
with religious symbols, but teachers should not encourage or discourage such
creations.
3. What decorative banners are appropriate to
hang above classroom doors?
Banners
that are displayed outside the classrooms are solely decorative and are not
specifically related to any instructional activity. Therefore, these banners may not have symbols
that could be associated with any particular religion. Specifically, none of the banners may display
any of the following: nativity scene,
Star of David, menorah, Christmas tree, cross, dreidel or Santa Claus.
4. Is it appropriate for a child to bring
something religious from home to discuss with the class?
Students
are permitted to share their holiday traditions as long as the teacher creates
a climate of acceptance and mutual respect.
In so doing, teachers will strive to ensure a consistent approach within
the grade level and appropriateness within the context of the grade level’s
lessons, activities or projects.
Teachers also will work to create equal opportunities for students to
bring something from home to discuss in an effort to balance religious
representation in the classroom.
5. May parents come into the classroom and
“teach” about their religious traditions?
Teachers are ultimately responsible for implementing the
curriculum for their grade level.
However, as long as there is consistency and balance, a grade level may
ask parents to make a classroom demonstration about a family custom or
tradition. Teachers are encouraged to
remind parents that they are expected to respect these Holiday Guidelines
during any classroom demonstration.
6. May teachers instruct about the origins and
meanings of particular religious holidays?
Teachers may instruct about religious holidays, but may not celebrate holidays with
religious observances. Teachers must
ensure that all holiday activities focus on objective study about
religion. Teaching about any religious holiday
must be in an age-appropriate manner, academic and required to fulfill TEKS
guidelines or the curriculum for that grade level. No classroom activities or lessons should
have the purpose or effect of promoting or inhibiting religion. Rather, in recognizing religious holidays,
teachers may focus on 1) how and when they were celebrated, 2) their origins
and 3) their generally agreed-upon secular and spiritual meanings. Teachers should strive to create a classroom
in which each child feels secure, comfortable and proud of his or her
individualism, traditions, culture and religion. Each teacher’s approach must be sensitive and
objective with the goal of fostering understanding and mutual respect for
differences in beliefs. Teachers should
avoid asking students to explain their religious beliefs and customs; an offer
to do so should be treated with courtesy and accepted or rejected depending
upon the educational relevancy. Teachers
also should avoid injecting personal religious beliefs into any discussions. If a student asks a teacher specific
questions about a religious holiday that are beyond the scope of the lesson,
project or activity, the teacher should politely and respectfully suggest to
the child that he or she discuss the questions with his or her parent. Teachers of primary students also are
encouraged to communicate any such questions raised to the child’s parents.
Resources
Anti-Defamation
League
The December Dilemma
(www.adl.org/issue_education/december_dilemma_2004)
Finding Common Ground: A First Amendment Guide to
Religion and Public Education (www.firstamendmentcenter.org//about.aspx?id=6276&SearchString=religion_and_public_education)
Texas Education Agency
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies
(www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter113/ch113a.html)
Spring Branch ISD Board Policies on Religion
www.tasb.org/policy/pol/private/101920/pol.cfm?DisplayPage=EMI(LEGAL).html&QueryText=RELIGION
www.tasb.org/policy/pol/private/101920/pol.cfm?DisplayPage=EMI(LOCAL).html&QueryText=RELIGION