Honoring our Time-Honored Traditions
Last Thursday night, over fifty parents joined us for our third Collage meeting, where we used a case study model to tackle a subject that can often be tricky in schools: winter celebrations. Some of the questions we considered were about what role religion should play in celebrations, whether schools should strive to represent “all the holidays” (as the case study put it), and how some groups may feel about participating in a celebration that is not representative of their own culture, practices, and beliefs. In many ways, these tensions are captured in the phrase “traditional and dynamic” found in our Mission Statement.
Each year as the holiday season approaches here at JTD, we grapple with questions about how to balance time-honored traditions with culturally responsive practices. Our First Grade Feast, which will take place virtually this year during Morning Assembly on Monday, November 23, is an example of a school tradition that has thoughtfully evolved over time. Our students learn about Thanksgiving from multiple perspectives, and they join together in festive attire—fitting our modern interpretation of this holiday—to share food and fellowship with one another. This year, the first grade is adding on a new practice of learning how to say “thankful” in all 10 of the languages spoken by the students in the grade. These thoughtful iterations prove that we can honor the spirit of our traditions while still adapting them to be representative of our community.
Our beloved Candlelighting and Carols programs are also steeped in tradition, and yet due to the time of the year and the symbolism involved—whether the light of a candle, which is featured in many religions, or the content of the songs, which more heavily favor the Christian tradition—these events can be more complicated to honor while still striving to be a diverse and inclusive community. While there is not an easy fix, it feels important to acknowledge the inherent complexity of these traditions while also honoring the spirit of the traditions themselves. In the case of Carols, it is a time when our community comes together for a common purpose: to gather in song before we go our separate ways for Winter Break. This year, the way we hear the children’s voices and the way we gather will take on a new form, but the spirit of the tradition remains.
If you ask JTD students what they value most about JTD traditions, it is the collective experience—being a part of something that not only connects them with their classmates and fellow JTD students but also forges a bond with generations of JTD students that came before them and those that will come after. As we think about what inclusion means at JTD, we will continue to lean into how we uphold the spirit of our traditions while also cultivating a sense of belonging for our students and families. In my opinion, this is what it means to be traditional and dynamic.
Our beloved Candlelighting and Carols programs are also steeped in tradition, and yet due to the time of the year and the symbolism involved—whether the light of a candle, which is featured in many religions, or the content of the songs, which more heavily favor the Christian tradition—these events can be more complicated to honor while still striving to be a diverse and inclusive community. While there is not an easy fix, it feels important to acknowledge the inherent complexity of these traditions while also honoring the spirit of the traditions themselves. In the case of Carols, it is a time when our community comes together for a common purpose: to gather in song before we go our separate ways for Winter Break. This year, the way we hear the children’s voices and the way we gather will take on a new form, but the spirit of the tradition remains.
If you ask JTD students what they value most about JTD traditions, it is the collective experience—being a part of something that not only connects them with their classmates and fellow JTD students but also forges a bond with generations of JTD students that came before them and those that will come after. As we think about what inclusion means at JTD, we will continue to lean into how we uphold the spirit of our traditions while also cultivating a sense of belonging for our students and families. In my opinion, this is what it means to be traditional and dynamic.
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The John Thomas Dye School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.
Located In Los Angeles, CA, John Thomas Dye is an independent school for grades K-6. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
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