Religion drama plays out in St. Lucie schools

[carzen]

The same week Principal Bernadette Floyd axed a penguin Christmas play she deemed religious, 200 public high school students from three counties sang about Jesus in an honors choir in Fort Pierce — a dichotomy some say proves the St. Lucie County School District needs a countywide policy on religion in the schools.

"How can one principal say penguins and Santa are religious, and another principal says it's OK to sing Christian music?" said Windmill Point Elementary parent Mary Anne Bender, whose 10-year-old daughter, Kayla Vance, lost her lead role as Mrs. Claus when the after-school play was canceled. "Our children are being denied a well-rounded education because of one person's interpretation."

Motivated by a parent's complaint about a past Christmas pageant, Floyd canceled plans for A Penguin Christmas because of its title and use of such holiday characters as Santa and Rudolph.

In light of national media attention to the story, Deputy Superintendent Sandy Wolfe reminded principals last week to "please ensure that all student celebrations, activities and events are inclusive of the various cultures and beliefs held by our students, their families and our staff."


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