Isn't that puppy adorable? I wonder if he's the reason the story of O'Green Day at Soule Road School has garnered such attention. Someone sure ran with it. Type "O'Green Day" into Google and check out the results.
Our local ABC/Fox channel ran a story--the video of which no longer appears online (at least I couldn't find it)--reporting the principal of Soule Road School, Mrs. Curtin, had changed the name of St. Patrick's Day to O'Green Day in an effort to be "'inclusive and diverse' and ease any discomfort that may go along with celebrating St. Patrick’s Day." The article further stated that Mrs. Curtin declined comment and the Superintendent of Schools, Martin O'Shea was not available for comment. Channel 40 said they reported the story based upon complaints from numerous parents.
If one looks at the school calendar posted on the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District's website, it clearly states "Happy St. Patrick's Day," on Saturday, March 17th--which is the actual holiday. There is also "Happy St. Patty's Day" in the top right, decorated with clovers. If one then goes to the school's lunch calendar, she will also see traditional symbols of the holiday clearly depicted.
Confused yet?
One can also notice that there are other Fridays on the school calendar with silly names: "Anything Wacky Friday" (2nd), "Lunch Time Luau with DJ Chris Hamel" (9th), and "Team Spirit Day with DJ Chris Hamel" (30th). Last year at Soule Road School we had similar PTO sponsored activities for the students. I don't know the reason for choosing March, but I am guessing it has something to do with MCAS, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. These are the annual standardized tests required by the Education Reform Law of 1993. The students and staff work their tails off to get ready for these tests, so it's nice to give them a treat.
Even though Superintendent O'Shea and School Committee Chairman, Scott Chapman, issued statements stating the name of St. Patrick's Day had not been changed, that didn't stop pundits from hopping on the bandwagon to condemn this attempt at political correctness. Glenn Beck said the school administration had removed the name St. Patrick's Day "from all the flyers and everything else." He called it another attack on the Catholics. On Monday, March 19th, Rush Limbaugh also commented on the story. You can read the short transcript on his website.
What Limbaugh touches on, which Beck did not, is the name of St. Valentine's Day at Soule Road School being changed to "Caring and Kindness Day." Now, I had heard some of the teachers wished to celebrate this in their classrooms, but I never witnessed it firsthand. Perhaps this is where the problems arose for some people--assuming this is true.
I've been a fan of Rush Limbaugh for more than a decade. I also enjoy listening to Glenn Beck. It seems, however, that an incomplete initial investigation led to this issue being blown out of proportion. And the fact is that O'Green Day, like the other themed days in March, are sponsored by the PTO, which is run by parents, not the school's administration or the school district. I wouldn't have any qualms complaining about political correctness in my child's school, but in this case, it appears the school's reputation and that of the principal has been unfairly called into question.
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