Admission to all 394 National Park Service properties will be free over the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday weekend, Jan. 15-17, in addition to 15 other days in 2011.
Besides the upcoming holiday weekend, the 100-plus national parks that normally charge for admittance (up to $25) will waive the entry fee on the following dates:
April 16-24 -- National Park Week
June 21 -- first day of summer
Sept. 24 -- Public Lands Day
Nov. 11-13 -- Veterans Day weekend
Source: http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2011/01/mark-your-calendars-for-free-entry-to-the-national-parks-in-2011/137473/1
Friday, January 7, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
All-inclusive
Here I go again getting all thoughtful and things.
I just read a post from a blog which talked about the Christmas season and the not-so-secular connection to public schools.
Indeed, throughout the curriculum there seems to be a fairly broad cultural spectrum encompassing different beliefs (including those of non-believers). Yet, when Xmas comes around, this consistency breaks down, and the school becomes all about Christmas. Granted, it's not always – and probably quite au contraire – not about the Nativity scene, but rather about the other stuff that surrounds modern Christmas celebration, such as Snowmen, trees, and the most baffling to me, Santa's reindeer. That's in addition to the conversations about present expectations and wishes. Talk about equity now!
So, the point is really how does your school make sure that other beliefs are included?
The post I referred to in the beginning, also talked about the fact that we need to – and do – teach kindness and compassion. This should be the season to emphasize compassion and kindness – and does holding a Christmas celebration but not any other help with this?
You see, I don't belong to a religion, nor do I believe in Santa, in fact, nothing stresses me out more than having to compromise my ideas about raising children and having to play along with the Santa story (my main opposition is really about the commercialization and the fact that Santa is so unnecessary!) that the people around us pressure us to comply with. Talk about peer pressure!
Yet, I play along and we attend events, but my heart is not in it. I am trying to find ways to connect with the community but do I have to compromise that much? Are there other ways?
How does your school teach kindness? What does your school do to include and welcome everyone?
I just read a post from a blog which talked about the Christmas season and the not-so-secular connection to public schools.
Indeed, throughout the curriculum there seems to be a fairly broad cultural spectrum encompassing different beliefs (including those of non-believers). Yet, when Xmas comes around, this consistency breaks down, and the school becomes all about Christmas. Granted, it's not always – and probably quite au contraire – not about the Nativity scene, but rather about the other stuff that surrounds modern Christmas celebration, such as Snowmen, trees, and the most baffling to me, Santa's reindeer. That's in addition to the conversations about present expectations and wishes. Talk about equity now!
So, the point is really how does your school make sure that other beliefs are included?
The post I referred to in the beginning, also talked about the fact that we need to – and do – teach kindness and compassion. This should be the season to emphasize compassion and kindness – and does holding a Christmas celebration but not any other help with this?
You see, I don't belong to a religion, nor do I believe in Santa, in fact, nothing stresses me out more than having to compromise my ideas about raising children and having to play along with the Santa story (my main opposition is really about the commercialization and the fact that Santa is so unnecessary!) that the people around us pressure us to comply with. Talk about peer pressure!
Yet, I play along and we attend events, but my heart is not in it. I am trying to find ways to connect with the community but do I have to compromise that much? Are there other ways?
How does your school teach kindness? What does your school do to include and welcome everyone?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)