Across midstate, class time for Halloween parties largely a thing of the past

Parents across Middle Georgia may remember celebrating Halloween -- and other holidays -- with classroom parties, but most students these days don't get that opportunity.

As has already been the case in recent years, there won't be any orange and black cupcakes or candy corn in Bibb or Houston county schools this week for different reasons.

"They do not celebrate Halloween. They celebrate Red Ribbon Week," said Stephanie Hartley, the communications coordinator for Bibb County schools.

Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign to encourage children to avoid drug abuse. An initiative of the National Family Partnership, the first such observance was held in 1988.

"Today, the red ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities," according to the partnership website.

As part of the week, schools might hold costume parades and other activities, which makes the week's concurrence with Halloween "convenient" for families that celebrate the holiday, Hartley said. Schools also hold events that reward students who have accumulated enough points in the Positive Behavior in Schools program.

Other than that, there are no school Halloween festivities.

"I don't think there's any official reason," Hartley said. "But I think you always have to be careful what parents want."

In Houston County, the reasons for not having parties for various holidays are more related to academics. The district does observe Red Ribbon Week, with the schedule being determined at the school level, said Michelle Masters, assistant superintendent for school operations.

"I just think it takes away from instructional time," Masters said of holiday celebrations. "We really don't have parties, period, because we value instructional time."

Even though many parents, especially those with younger children just starting school, might expect such activities to be a part of school, Masters said she hasn't heard of any resistance. She thinks, like anything, that communication is key to preventing upset parents at holiday time.

"I think it's just the expectations are put out at the beginning of the year as far as what's allowed and what's not allowed," she said.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Across midstate, class time for Halloween parties largely a thing of the past ."