Southern Public Schools & Christmas: Navigating being a minority without making your kid feel left out.

I grew up in Ohio and went to public school. I remember there was a Christmas Tree in the elementary achool, but it seemed like there were pains taken to make sure that Christmas didn’t overwhelm the month of December. That was 30 something years ago and in a community with some diversity. Now I live in Louisiana and December in our public school is red and white stripped, gift wrapped and lit with Christmas lights. Actual Christmas movies shown during class.

I don’t understand it, and my kiddo is only in Kindergarten. I’m trying to work out the best approach to ask the school tone it down and be more multicultural and inclusive. We may be the only Jewish family in this grade, but we can’t be the only Jews in the whole school and there have to be some Muslims, Hindus, and Jehova’s Witnesses in the school too. My wife has asked the teacher to ask herself if she’d use the item to celebrate winter in January. If not then it isn’t a winter seasonal activity.

Any suggestions? I don’t want the kiddo singled out more than they are already going to be, and I don’t want to be the parents who destroyed Christmas (even though it has no place in public school).