Superintendent Letter: Planning for a Safe and Inclusive Halloween

Dear families,

Halloween is just around the corner and I know that our school communities are looking forward to celebrating this holiday in creative ways. To ensure that all members in our school communities are able to enjoy this holiday, I wanted to reach out with a gentle reminder to please be thoughtful in the selection of costume being worn to school.

While our school district does not have an official policy on Halloween costumes, we must always be guided by the expectations set out in school codes of conduct and our district Safe, Caring and Healthy Schools policy. As such, we must always ensure our learning environments remain safe, welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all students, families, and staff.

The following two essential guidelines should be considered when selecting costumes that will be worn at school:

• Be kind and consider the school community: costumes that could be offensive or perpetuate the stereotype of someone’s gender identity, culture, race, religion, age, or disability must not be worn.
• Be thoughtful and safe: costumes that depict violence, alcohol or drugs are not appropriate. Similarly, replica weapons (e.g. gun, knives, etc.) must not be brought to school.

Finally, I know that health and safety is top of mind for all families this year. The BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC) has published a number of helpful tips for safe Halloween celebrations, from how to do trick-or-treating safely, to being creative in handing out treats. You can find these tips on the BC CDC website at http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19/social-interactions/halloween.

Thank you for helping us keep our school communities healthy, safe, caring and socially responsible,

 

Sylvia Russell
Superintendent