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Purpose
The program ensures that all activities in the classroom are supportive and culturally relevant to all children. GHC understands that each family’s traditions surrounding holidays and celebrations are not universal to all cultures. Celebrations focus on providing opportunities for children to develop an appreciation for celebration while honoring families' cultural and religious differences.
Approaches to Holidays
1. Find “common ground” issues to celebrate about seasons changing, children’s achievements, developmental milestones, etc. Examples of seasonal, all-inclusive celebrations are the Fall Festival, Spring Fling, Friendship Day, Pajama Day, Harvest Festival, Winter Festival, Summer Fun Fest, and Special Author Day.
2. Ask yourself: What is the purpose of teaching about this holiday? Is it developmentally suitable for my group of children? Is it related to their lives? If not, do not introduce it.
3. Be sensitive to the possibility that families with low incomes may find holidays stressful because of the enormous amount of commercialization and media pressure to purchase things.
4. Food brought to planned classroom activities by staff, families, or volunteers must be pre-packaged products that have been purchased. The packaging must not be open or the seal the broken.
5. Balloons are not permitted in the EHS classrooms.
6. Food and/or candy may not be used as a reward or punishment.
Birthday Celebrations
1. The program maintains that birthday celebrations may be observed once per month or on the birthday with a food experience (cupcake mix) purchased by the site. If the food celebration is a group experience in each classroom, then the monthly celebration would include all children having a birthday during that month. For ten-month programs, an end-of-the-year celebration would be held for all children with birthdays during the summer. Each classroom should establish which birthday celebration schedule they will engage in at the beginning of the year and stick to the schedule for the entirety of the year to promote continuity.
2. Teaching staff review the birthday celebration procedures with parents at the first home visit/parent-teacher conference.
3. The program will furnish one cake or cupcake per month to be prepared by the program kitchen staff.
4. Teaching staff review the birthday celebration procedures with parents at the first home visit/parent-teacher conference.
6. Parents are invited to be included in the activities with the program-furnished cake but may not bring party trappings, cakes, cookies, cupcakes, goodie bags, party favors, piñatas, etc.
7. Classrooms cannot distribute party invitations to parents.
See celebration guidance in the education section
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