Litchfield School Doesn't Heart Valentine's Day

Somebody doesn’t heart Valentine’s Day and Litchfield parents are seeing red over it.

Kids at Center School in Litchfield can still bring in Valentine’s Day cards and share messages carrying heart-emblazoned images of Dora the Explorer and Hannah Montana, but the holiday-themed sweet stuff is out.

Candy hearts, cupcakes and other sugary treats specifically for Valentine’s Day will not be allowed.

They don’t fit into school guidelines, the Waterbury Republican-American reports.

Why?

Rules the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education came out with in 2007 recommend against references to and promotion of holidays of religious nature, including Valentine’s Day.  By that rule, St. Patrick's Day celebrations would probably be out, too.

The school is also concerned about the dangers the treats could pose to children with allergies, according to a letter sent home to parents.

It gets better.  Instead of celebrating Valentine’s Day, students will be reveling in lessons of “Colors, Countries and Cultures,” which promote lessons of tolerance.   

The matter brought about two dozen parents to a board of education meeting Wednesday night.

“You’re taking away these things because a small number of people think you should,” Mitch Garden told the school board, according to the Republican-American.  

Melanie O’Leary, a parent who teaches at the school, told the newspaper she supports the decision.

“What’s nice is that the 400 cupcakes and all of the sweets that used to come into the school are gone,” she told the newspaper. “In place of it, we’re teaching about the importance of kindness, but we’re still teaching about what holiday’s mean.”

To learn more about the holiday, venture on over to History.com

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