Sudbury School Calendar Decision Could Split Siblings on Religious Holidays: Letter To The Editor

The following letter was submitted to Patch by Sudbury residents Vidya Parwani and Safa Khan.

SUDBURY, MA — As the fall leaves settle and the days grow shorter; and as we move into the cozy season here in Sudbury, looking forward to gathering with friends and families, we have been reflecting on what makes a community truly feel like home. For us, and for so many of our neighbors, it is about that feeling of belonging – knowing that our traditions and our joy are seen and valued.

Throughout this past year, we witnessed something truly heartwarming happen in our schools. We saw the formation of the Tri-District Calendar Review Subcommittee, a coming together of Sudbury Public Schools (SPS), Lincoln Public Schools (LPS), and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School (LSRHS). It was wonderful to watch representatives from these three unique districts come together to try to find a path forward.

They didn’t just meet; they really listened. Even though they met virtually throughout the heat of the summer, the distance didn’t stop the diligence. Through their screens, they gathered data, sat down with local faith leaders, held listening sessions, and poured over surveys from staff and the community. It was a massive effort rooted in empathy.

Sadly, the Subcommittee did not end up making a unified recommendation for the districts to follow. Instead, the final decision has turned out to be an individual one, placed back into the hands of the respective School Committees.

However, just this week, we saw a beautiful beam of light. At the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Committee (LSRHS) meeting on November 18th, we witnessed one of the best, most thoughtful conversations surrounding this topic yet. It was truly heartening to see them moving forward with three possible calendar options – all of which include adding the requested holy days.

Now, our eyes are turned hopefully toward the Sudbury Public Schools (SPS) Committee, who will be taking their important vote on November 24th.

Because of the progress at LSRHS, there is a little worry in our hearts regarding SPS. We wonder what might happen if SPS decides to remain status quo or opts for a Federal and State holiday schedule, while LSRHS moves forward with the inclusive calendar that recognizes our holidays.

We are parents, and we look at this through the eyes of our children. We imagine the sacred rush of a morning spent heading to Eid prayers at the mosque or gathering for Diwali worship at the temple.

If the districts don’t align, how will our children feel if one sibling at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School gets to fully participate in these traditions, while their younger sibling at Sudbury Public Schools is forced to step away from the celebration, put on their backpack, and go to school?

We want our little ones to be present for every circle time and science lab, fully engaged in the school life they love. It tugs at us to know that, under DESE guidelines, missing just a couple of days for these joyful observances places them at higher risk for “chronic absenteeism” – a heavy label for a family simply gathering in religious devotion.

If SPS chooses the neutral Federal and State calendar, how do we explain to the younger sibling that their holiday matters to the high school, but not to their own school? Perhaps even more troubling, if the calendar remains unchanged, how do we respond when they quietly wonder whether other traditions seem to matter more than theirs at their own school, without diminishing their sense of belonging and well-being?

See Also:

• Sudbury Business Owner Pleaded Guilty To Paying Employee $1.6M Under The Table, USAO
• Holiday Village Coming To Sudbury: Gifts, Baby Animals, Food Hall
  
• Sudbury School Committee Seeking New Member