Halloween Parade Canceled At Morristown Elementary School Over Inclusivity Concerns

MORRISTOWN, NJ — The Halloween parade at Thomas Jefferson School in Morristown has been cancelled due to inclusivity concerns, a letter sent home to parents said.

"Although Halloween can be an exciting day for students, we also recognize that since many of our students do not celebrate Halloween, they are unable to participate in a Halloween parade," principal Cristina Frazzano wrote in a letter home to parents. "After feedback from staff and students, we have decided an alternative activity to the Halloween parade: The Classroom Escape."

The Classroom Escape is described in the letter as a "more inclusive" activity (emphasis included in the original letter).

Frazzano said there were no complaints about the parade, and that the change was student-driven.

Sixty of the 320 students do not celebrate Halloween, Frazzano told Patch.

She said the fifth-grade students, who she referred to as the leaders in the building, suggested replacing the parade with the escape room activity. The school serves grades three through five.

"I began to ask them about the parade and they felt it was boring or embarrassing, they didn't enjoy it, and when they knew that there were many students that couldn't participate, they came up with other suggestions," Frazzano said.

Children are still allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school, while those who don't celebrate are encouraged to wear school colors, Frazzano wrote (you can read the full letter below). The parade was not cancelled at Woodland School, the kindergarten-through-second-grade school that feeds into Thomas Jefferson.

It was not clear if other intermediate or elementary schools in the district had elected to skip the parade this year as well. Calls to the superintendent's office for more information have not been returned.

The Classroom Escape, offered as an alternative to the traditional parade, is a student-friendly version of an escape room, where students will work together to solve clues after being "trapped in their classrooms by villains," the letter reads. After that activity, children will play a school-wide game of bingo.

Read the full letter sent home to parents here (a Spanish version was also sent home):

Dear Parents and Guardians,

October has arrived and many school events are on the horizon. Although Halloween can be an exciting day for students, we also recognize that since many of our students do not celebrate Halloween, they are unable to participate in a Halloween parade. After feedback from staff and students, we have decided an alternative activity to the Halloween parade: The Classroom Escape. This more inclusive activity will foster team building, critical thinking, and fun.

On Oct. 31, students will be trapped in their classrooms by villains. Students will work in teams to crack the code to various puzzles to escape the class in time. Can they do it? After they escape, all classes will gather in the gym for a school-wide Bingo game. Teachers will contact room parents to coordinate Bingo prizes.

Students may come to school in their costumes. Students who do not celebrate Halloween are encouraged to wear their school colors. Please consider using minimal makeup on your child for this day. He or she will have to wear the makeup all day and it can become uncomfortable if it is too thick or extensive. Also, please be careful that masks have sufficient eye space for viewing and that costumes are not a tripping hazard. As in years’ past, props such as weapons (guns, knives, etc.) are not allowed. Please remember that students are not allowed to wear gory or inappropriate masks or clothing.

The Thomas Jefferson Staff is looking forward to sharing a Spooktacularly fun-filled morning with all the children!

Sincerely,

Cristina Frazzano

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images