- Section I: Instruction
IMDC - HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE POLICY
RSU 21 schools reflect an increasingly diverse society with many religious, ethnic, and cultural traditions and beliefs that are meaningful to the students and adults in our communities. The Board of Directors encourages all those involved in educating our children to be aware and knowledgeable of religious diversity and cultural differences.
Holidays and traditions can provide rich opportunities for learning. It is the responsibility of the schools to create awareness of and increased sensitivity to our diverse society, in order to establish and maintain a comfortable climate for learning throughout the entire school year for all students and adults.
This policy is created to govern the observance of holidays and traditions during the school day. The intent of this policy is to articulate guidelines which reflect and balance the academic and instructional mission of our schools, the law and legal guidelines relating to separation of church and state, the richness and diversity of our population, and sensitivity to the rights and dignity of the individual.
As outlined in the District’s curriculum and the Maine Learning Results, the study of religious holidays should serve academic goals, of educating students about family traditions and their relationship to culture; cultural differences and similarities; the role that religion has played in the social, cultural, and historical development of civilization; and the beliefs and practices of various religions. The exploration of holiday practices must take into account the existence of religious and cultural diversity and should not be limited to one time of the year.
RSU 21 shall not promote religious belief or non-belief, nor inhibit expressions of religious belief or non-belief provided that these expressions respect the rights of others and are consistent with guidelines for proper behavior as outlined in the school’s code of conduct.
Approved: 08/26/02
Amended: 10/07/02
- Section I