Great Valley Superintendent Responds To 'America Day' Controversy

The controversy surrounding America Day and its exclusion at Great Valley High School has reportedly been resolved with a day named “Celebrate Your Country Day.”

The decision came after the Great Valley School District Superintendent wrote a letter to the school community in response to students organizing an online petition protesting the apparent exclusion of “America Day” during the school’s upcoming Spirit Week.

Characterizing the situation as a “misunderstanding,” Superintendent Regina Speaker-Palubinsky said that there was absolutely no intention “to suppress anyone’s desire to celebrate our great country” in removing America Day.

The high school’s principal, Michael Flick, met with student council leaders to discuss themes for the upcoming SPirit Week. The decision was initially made to use a “World Culture Day” instead because the student body celebrates the county on Veteran’s Day.

“Mr. Flick and the students discussed the consideration of a “World Culture Day” to honor all the cultures represented in the United States and within the Great Valley High School community,“ Speaker-Palubinsky said in the letter. “The Great Valley School District fully embraces our American culture, and all of our schools celebrate our national pride in various ways throughout the school year. I apologize if anyone was offended by the designation of a “World Culture Day,” and hope that you can now understand that our intention was to celebrate everything that makes our country great.”

The online petition gathered signatures from 994 people in about four days.

Flick met with student council leaders on Friday for further discussions on the naming of the day, and student protest leaders seemed happy with the meeting’s outcome.

“After meeting with Mr. Flick today, I’m satisfied he is a good man and his heart is in the right place, and the administration’s heart is in the right place,” said Ross Kennedy, who started the petition, after the decision was made to name the day Celebrate Your Country.

“They put Celebrate Your Country Day on the books, but I think what’s going to happen is people are going to dress up in red, white, and blue, and they are going to wave their flags,” Kennedy added. “And I’d just like to thank everybody who took a stand to say America is great.”