To: Willow Street Middle School Students 

Subject: Changes This Halloween

    Starting this fall, Willow Street Middle School will no longer host Halloween activities. This means our Monster Mash celebration is canceled. It also means you will not be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school. 

    Why are we making this change? We want everyone to feel safe and included at WSMS. Over the past few years, I have received many complaints about costumes. Some of those costumes were too scary or gruesome. Others were unkind to students from certain cultures. 

    But that’s not the only reason we made this decision. Costumes aren’t cheap. Not everyone can afford to buy an outfit they will wear for only one night. WSMS’s Halloween activities were causing a lot of stress for some families.

    We know this may be disappointing. But we believe it is the right thing to do. Many other schools across the country have made similar decisions. 

    If you celebrate Halloween, we hope you continue to do so. We simply ask that you do not do it during school hours.

    Sincerely, 

    Principal Cho

To: Willow Street Middle School Students 

Subject: Changes This Halloween

    Starting this fall, Willow Street Middle School will no longer host Halloween activities. This means our Monster Mash celebration is canceled. And you won’t be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school.

    Why are we making this change? We want everyone to feel safe and included here. In recent years, I’ve heard many complaints about costumes. Some costumes were too scary or gross. Others were unkind to students from certain cultures.

    There’s another reason too. Costumes aren’t cheap. Not everyone can afford to buy something they’ll wear for just one night. Our Halloween activities were causing a lot of stress for some families.

    We know this may disappoint you. But we believe it’s the right thing to do. Many schools across the country have made similar changes.

    Feel free to celebrate Halloween. But please don’t do it during school hours.

    Sincerely,

    Principal Cho

To: Willow Street Middle School Students 

Subject: Changes This Halloween

    Starting this fall, Willow Street Middle School will no longer host Halloween activities. This means our Monster Mash celebration is canceled. It also means students will not be allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school.

    We’re making this change because we want everyone to feel safe and included at WSMS. Over the past few years, I have received many complaints about costumes. Some of those costumes were too scary or gruesome, while others were unkind to students from certain cultures.

    Another reason we made this decision is that costumes aren’t cheap, and not everyone can afford to buy an outfit they will wear for only one night. WSMS’s Halloween activities were causing a great deal of stress for some families.

    We know this may be disappointing, but we believe it’s the right thing to do. Many other schools across the country have made similar decisions.

     you celebrate Halloween, we hope you continue to do so. We simply request that you not do it during school hours.

    Sincerely,

    Principal Cho

To: Principal Cho

Subject: Re: Changes This Halloween

Dear Principal Cho,

    We understand why you made this decision. But we don’t think it’s the right one. 

    On behalf of the student body, I’m asking you to reconsider. 

    The Monster Mash has been a WSMS tradition for years. We look forward to it every Halloween. It gives us a chance to show off our creativity. Yes, a few costumes caused problems last year. But instead of canceling all the fun, why not set some clearer rules?

    We also think there are ways to make sure everyone feels included. One idea is to have a costume swap at the beginning of October. Students can bring in their old costumes. Everyone can sort through and find something new.

    But it’s also important to remember that a great costume doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. Remember when Aaron won the costume contest last year? He made that robot outfit entirely out of recycled shoeboxes! 

    Sincerely, 

    Sarah, Student Council President

To: Principal Cho

Subject: Re: Changes This Halloween

Dear Principal Cho,

    We understand why you made this choice. But we don’t think it’s the right one. On behalf of the student body, I’m asking you to think about it again.

    The Monster Mash has been a WSMS tradition for years. We always look forward to it. It’s a chance to show off our creativity. Yes, a few costumes caused problems last year. But you can just set clearer rules. You don’t have to cancel all the fun.

    Also, there are ways to make sure everyone feels included. One idea is to have a costume swap at the beginning of October. Students can bring in their old costumes. Everyone can sort through and find something new.

    But really, a great costume doesn’t need to cost much. Last year, Aaron won the costume contest. Remember his robot outfit? He made it out of recycled shoeboxes!

    Sincerely,

    Sarah, Student Council President    

To: Principal Cho

Subject: Re: Changes This Halloween

Dear Principal Cho,

    We understand why you made this decision, but we don’t agree with it. On behalf of the student body, I’m asking you to reconsider.

    The Monster Mash has been a WSMS tradition for years, and students look forward to it every Halloween. It gives us a chance to show off our creativity. Yes, a few costumes caused problems last year—but instead of canceling all the fun, why not set some clearer rules?

    We also have some suggestions for making sure everyone feels included. For example, we could organize a costume swap at the beginning of October. Students can bring in their old costumes, and everyone can sort through and find something new.

    But it’s also important to remember that a great costume doesn’t need to be expensive. Remember when Aaron won the costume contest last year? He made that robot outfit entirely out of recycled shoeboxes!

    Sincerely,

    Sarah, Student Council President