HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Happy Holidays to all!

http://www.123greetings.com/events/seasons_greetings/seasonal_blessings/blessings21.html

[onlytruth]

Thanks cardinal,blessings to you as well! :icon_king:

[Molly]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Did I forget to say, Merry Christmas?

MERRY CHRISTMAS! :icon_flower:


Mayor: School boss should apologize to boy who drew cross


Taunton Mayor Charles Crowley called School Superintendent Julie Hackett from his vacation today and asked her to apologize both privately and publicly to the family of an 8-year-old special needs student sent home from school and ordered to undergo psychological testing after drawing a stick-figure picture of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross.

"Mayor Crowley's sentiments were that he would hope Dr. Hackett would meet with the family today, apologize, make a public apology on behalf of the school department, pay for the psychiatrist and come up with a policy to make sure this never happens in our school system again," said Crowley's assistant Todd Castro.

Castro said this evening he is unaware of any response from Hackett. Hackett has not responded to repeated requests for comment from the Herald.

The Lowell M. Maxham Elementary School second-grader was booted from the school on Dec. 2 when school officials feared his artwork - drawn to depict what he did on his Thanksgiving break - might be exposing violent tendencies. The child was allowed to return on Dec. 7 after a two-day risk assessment by psychiatrist Helene Titelbaum determined there was nothing wrong with him.

"(The boy) does not appear to be a threat to himself or others at this time. Therefore, I recommend that he return to school as soon as possible," Titelbaum concluded in her report, a copy of which was obtained by the Herald.

The boy's father, Chester Johnson, 40, a part-time maintenance worker for the Taunton School Department, told the Herald his son drew Jesus after visiting the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attelboro to see its Christmas display. He then put his own name on the cross instead of Jesus.

Toni Saunders, an educational consultant with the non-profit Associated Advocacy Center in Sandwich, who was asked to help the family by their pastor, said, "I heard the story and I was appalled, to put it mildly."

"My intention is to shed light on what is happening to children in schools because of zero tolerance," she said. "I'm sure they expected Santa Claus or a reindeer, but that's not where this child's mind was."


http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1219085

[Molly]

They seem to be targeting the second graders--Merry Christmas!



Second Graders Sing About Allah?
14 December 2009

A battle over religion is brewing in central Indiana after a public school wanted second graders to sing a song declaring, "Allah is God." The phrase was removed just before the performance after a national conservative group launched a protest.

The principal of Lantern Road Elementary School in Fishers, IN, said they were trying to teach inclusiveness through their holiday production. It included references to Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Las Posadas and Kwanzaa. However, no other deity, other than Allah, was referenced in the show.

"It went off...without a hitch," Danielle Thompson told the Indianapolis Star. "Several families thought it was a nice program."

But others did not – especially David Hogan. His daughter came home with a copy of the lyrics just days before the production. Hogan, a Christian, told the American Family Association, a conservative advocacy group, that he was deeply concerned to learn that his daughter had been singing, "Allah is God."

Here's what the children were assigned to sing:

"Allah is God, we recall at dawn,
Praying 'til night during Ramadan
At this joyful time we pray happiness for you,
Allah be with you all your life through."

But when it came time to perform the "Christian" part of Christmas, children were assigned to say:

"I didn't know there was a little boy at the manger. What child is this?
I'm not sure if there was a little boy or not.
Then why did you paint one on your nativity window?
I just thought if there was a little boy, I'd like to know exactly what he (sic) say.

Micah Clark, executive director of the Indiana AFA, launched an Internet protest once he heard about the allegations. "What surprised me here is that we've had a secular scrubbing of Christmas for so long and the school apparently didn't see the problem with kids singing to Allah," he told FOX News Radio. "You won't even mention Jesus and you're going to force my child to sing about Allah?

In email correspondence the school initially defended the reference as a way to be inclusive of all religions. However, once complaints starting rolling in, school leaders decided to eliminate the Allah reference.



Read more: http://www.foxnewsradio.com/2009/12/14/public-schoo-kids-singing-to-allah/#ixzz0ZwuTJnA9

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Unbelievable, and Indiana does not have a high number of Moslems (unless it would be in E. Chicago), and especially Fishers surprises me, it's probably one of, if not the most pricey neighborhoods in Indy. So WHO are they catering to? We fight not against flesh and blood but..........Blessings.....

[fullarmor2]

    :ty:           :trampoline:

[peacemaker]

(http://dl.glitter-graphics.net/pub/2528/2528761lbd00q4iwm.jpg)
PEACE IN ALL SEASONS

[natcat86]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Did I forget to say, Merry Christmas?

MERRY CHRISTMAS! :icon_flower:


Mayor: School boss should apologize to boy who drew cross


Taunton Mayor Charles Crowley called School Superintendent Julie Hackett from his vacation today and asked her to apologize both privately and publicly to the family of an 8-year-old special needs student sent home from school and ordered to undergo psychological testing after drawing a stick-figure picture of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross.

"Mayor Crowley's sentiments were that he would hope Dr. Hackett would meet with the family today, apologize, make a public apology on behalf of the school department, pay for the psychiatrist and come up with a policy to make sure this never happens in our school system again," said Crowley's assistant Todd Castro.

Castro said this evening he is unaware of any response from Hackett. Hackett has not responded to repeated requests for comment from the Herald.

The Lowell M. Maxham Elementary School second-grader was booted from the school on Dec. 2 when school officials feared his artwork - drawn to depict what he did on his Thanksgiving break - might be exposing violent tendencies. The child was allowed to return on Dec. 7 after a two-day risk assessment by psychiatrist Helene Titelbaum determined there was nothing wrong with him.

"(The boy) does not appear to be a threat to himself or others at this time. Therefore, I recommend that he return to school as soon as possible," Titelbaum concluded in her report, a copy of which was obtained by the Herald.

The boy's father, Chester Johnson, 40, a part-time maintenance worker for the Taunton School Department, told the Herald his son drew Jesus after visiting the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attelboro to see its Christmas display. He then put his own name on the cross instead of Jesus.

Toni Saunders, an educational consultant with the non-profit Associated Advocacy Center in Sandwich, who was asked to help the family by their pastor, said, "I heard the story and I was appalled, to put it mildly."

"My intention is to shed light on what is happening to children in schools because of zero tolerance," she said. "I'm sure they expected Santa Claus or a reindeer, but that's not where this child's mind was."


http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1219085

According to the Super intendant the child had drawn and labeled a picture of himself on the cross. I'd see why someone would find that a cause for concern. Also Taunton is known as The Christmas City because of its large public christmas displays. So good news!

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: BUMP........just for the purpose of wishing everyone AGAIN, a very happy Holiday season..........Blessings to all........ :HeartThrob:

[peacemaker]

(http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/1587/1587725pgrg7w67pq.gif)

peacemaker

[friendofmankind]

Have a great time everyone xxx