Planning for a safe and inclusive Halloween

Dear families,

As Halloween approaches, I wanted to remind students and families of the need to be thoughtful and inclusive when selecting a costume to be worn at school. Please consider the two following guidelines when you and/or your child are making the costume selection:

• Be kind and consider the school community. Costumes that could be offensive or perpetuate the stereotype of someone’s gender identity, culture, race, religion, age, or disability must not be worn.
• Be thoughtful and safe. Costumes that depict violence, alcohol or drugs are not appropriate. Similarly, replica weapons (e.g. guns, knives, etc.) must not be brought to school.

The choice of Halloween costume must align with the expectations set out in school codes of conduct and our district Safe, Caring and Healthy Schools policy. We must always ensure our learning environments remain safe, welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all students, families, and staff.

Due to the current provincial health and safety measures, I would also like to ask students and families to refrain from bringing homemade food items to school to share with staff and students. Only commercially prepared and packaged foods (in the original unopened box/package) can be accepted at this time, and should be given to the classroom teacher for distribution.

We appreciate your consideration and thank you for helping keep our schools safe, caring, and inclusive this Halloween.

Sincerely,
Harry Dhillon Superintendent