An open letter to Acton High and HDSB
The last 2.5 years of COVID-19 have been terrible for our children, haven’t they? As parents, we’ve done what we could to create as much normalcy for our children as possible. We’ve helped our children navigate the hurdles of learning online, meeting new teachers and friends whose faces were mostly hidden by masks, we’ve helped them through understanding why they have to stay silent at school lunchtime so they don’t spread breath droplets through the air, and we’ve helped them through isolation when the smallest sniffle or scratchy throat appeared. We’ve comforted and encouraged them through missed and cancelled events, traditions, and extra-curricular activities. They’ve missed out on memorable childhood school-based events, sports, activities, and clubs. One of my own children was in the unlucky group that had their graduation cancelled. But, we’re nearing the end, right? We’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The kids are back to school, mostly maskless, the travel restrictions have ended and we are getting back to our new normal. Or so we thought.
Two weeks ago at the dinner table my high schooler excitedly told us that his drama class at Acton District School gets to participate in an annual haunted house, the Halloween Haunt, that has been cancelled for the last 2 years, due to the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, this event went on for 15 years. Entry to the haunted house has historically been with a monetary or food donation for the Acton Foodshare. Acton and surrounding communities have raved about this student-led haunted house for years. The students put in a lot of preparation and work, including donating their own time. It was particularly exciting for my son because he’s not a kid that’s into sports, but rather, he’s interested in other important topics and subjects - including drama. The students were given a variety of drama performances they could choose from and my son explained to us that every single student in the class chose to do the haunted house. In fact, some of the students specifically requested 1st-semester drama so that they could participate in this fun community event. As my 8.5-year-old daughter scooped some salad into her mouth, she proceeded to ask, “What’s a haunted house, Mom?” My husband and I looked at each other with our mouths agape. It never dawned on us that prior to the pandemic, she had only just turned 6, so of course, she didn’t remember what a haunted house was. My son began explaining to her all the details of what was in a haunted house, and her eyes lit up with excitement and anticipation of the event that was coming up.
Dinner conversation the following week went very differently, however. It started off with my son frantically telling us about how the haunted house was cancelled and that we’ll never believe why. “It’s cancelled because of COVID, and also because it's not inclusive!”, he exclaimed. I sat and listened carefully to how the cancellation of the haunted house transpired which included the students being asked to brainstorm solutions to the problems, but then told that regardless of what solution they came up with, it wouldn’t change the outcome. Not exactly what I’d call motivational.
The reasons for cancellation given to the students were:
COVID.
The use of strobe lights can cause epileptic seizures.
The haunted house environment can be triggering for people with past traumas or PTSD.
It’s not inclusive of different religions/cultural beliefs.
Before we dive into these reasons for cancellation, it’s important to mention that as a family, we have a very inclusive mindset. We welcome change that is necessary to evolve and be better as a community, as a society, and as humans. We’re firm believers in the phrase “When we know better, we do better”, and we respect and acknowledge that change must occur to grow and to be inclusive of different beliefs, races, abilities, genders, and cultures. Yet, I still couldn’t wrap my head around why this event would be so problematic. COVID should really be a non-issue at this point. Not because it isn’t a threat, but because, we are at a stage of learning to live with it. At this point, we have learned that we are very capable of holding successful public events that take COVID health and safety measures into account. With all travel restrictions being lifted and kids attending school maskless, this just felt like a really poor excuse. Strobe lights can absolutely cause epileptic seizures, and a haunted house environment can definitely be scary and triggering to many children and adults with past traumatic experiences, as well as to those without past trauma. One hundred percent agreed. But, wouldn’t posting visible warning signs to those planning to enter the haunted house be sufficient? People could then make their own informed choice whether they want to enter, or not. I once attended a local haunted house that gave out a safe word to visitors. The haunted house actors would not scare people walking through if they used the safe word - it worked beautifully! Is Halloween an event that is celebrated by every person? No. But neither are birthdays that are broadcasted over morning announcements in HDSB elementary schools and neither are Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter, or any other culturally celebrated holiday that our children learn about in school as part of a diverse classroom. In this particular scenario, all the students desperately wanted to participate in this haunted house event. But, for inclusivity purposes, let’s say there were students that didn’t want to participate for cultural reasons or otherwise. Perhaps, those students could be more heavily involved in other important behind-the-scenes activities such as creating the decorations, lighting, or sound effects rather than dressing up and scaring people. Or there could be a communication to students and parents that this is an event the drama class puts on during 1st-semester drama and that those who do not wish to participate should request to be placed in 2nd-semester drama. The point is, there are many options to explore that would ensure inclusivity while continuing to support a successful event that benefits both the students and the community greatly. If we want to talk about inclusivity, as a parent, I might question why schools can support offering so many sport-related activities but have little to offer students that have non-sport-related interests and strengths. You see, if we look hard enough we are sure to find a reason that every single thing we do lacks inclusivity to some extent. But, what we’re really doing is taking away all of the experiences that make us so wonderfully diverse in the first place. The fact that other schools within HDSB still allow wearing costumes or orange shirts on Halloween would indicate that this is not a board-wide anti-Halloween movement, but rather, the opinion of a select few people at Acton District School making the decision without any student, parent or community input or consultation. Cancelling the event and labelling it “non-inclusive” is most certainly taking the easy way out. Haven’t our kids had enough cancelled events and disappointment? Aren’t they worth trying to make this event work? If we want to lead by example and show our students the importance of having a growth mindset, we need to take the time to consult, address and correct the issues with this previously successful and well-loved event, rather than contributing to our currently out-of-control cancel culture through dictation. If you would like to support the drama students in bringing back the Halloween Haunt to Acton District School, I would encourage you to sign the petition here at your earliest convenience: https://chng.it/LLBKMpbW7y Sincerely, The Parent of a Disappointed Drama Student
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