- While children in most schools around the country are creating cards and trinkets this week as Mother's Day gifts, students at a posh private school in New York City's Upper West Side will stick to academics since the concept of "mother" might make some children uncomfortable.
Count Father's Day out, too.
The Mother's Day/Father's Day ban at Rodeph Sholom Day School was revealed in a column yesterday by New York Post writer Andrea Peyser. In her column, Peyser quotes from a letter sent to parents Friday regarding the new policy.
"I am writing this letter to inform you that after much thought and discussion this past year, we will not be celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day," began the letter written by Cindi Samson, director of the school's lower elementary division.
"At this time, these holidays are not needed to enhance our writing and arts programs," the letter continued. "Second, families in our society are now diverse and varied. We are a school with many different family makeups, and we need to recognize the emotional well-being of all the children in our school. Holidays that serve no educational purpose and are not vital to the children's education need to be evaluated in terms of their importance in a school setting, as the recognition of these holidays in a social setting may not be a positive experience for all children."
The commotion began last week, according to Peyser, when a man -- who adopted his son with a male partner -- boasted that he had persuaded administrators to remove Mother's Day from the school's holiday list. But Samson denied the decision was made based on one complaint.
"The reasoning was several-fold," Samson told Peyser. "One is, it didn't serve an academic and educational need. Number two, families are changing. Some children were very uncomfortable."
Some children have only one parent, Samson continued, or "there may be two fathers, two mothers, the mother may not have custody, it could be a grandmother."
The school told WorldNetDaily it had no comment. But Peyser was not at a loss for words.
"When did the biblical commandment -- 'Honor thy father and thy mother' -- become a threat to children's emotional well-being?" she wrote. "I'm not sure what's more fuzzy-headed: preventing kids from honoring their parents or believing that banning a celebration will somehow help kids who are not part of traditional families. Kids don't live in a bubble. Not even on the Upper West Side," she concluded.
Rodeph Sholom School is affiliated with a Reform Jewish synagogue and enrolls kids from age 2 through sixth grade. Tuition runs around $15,000 a year for pre-kindergarten and just under $20,000 for grade six. The Mother's Day/Father's Day ban is effective only for kids ages 4 and up.
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