How do I restore traditional holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter to the classroom? Many public school teachers and administrators think they cannot teach students about these holidays. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals in the case of Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, supported a school's right to teach about them. The court said: "It would be literally impossible to develop a public school curriculum that did not in some way affect the religious or nonreligious sensibilities of some of the students or their parents. School administrators should, of course, be sensitive to the religious beliefs or disbeliefs of their constituents . . . but they need not and should not sacrifice the quality of their students' education." In the Sioux Falls case, the court upheld the school district's policy which stated: "Music, art, literature and drama having religious themes or basis are permitted as part of the curriculum for school-sponsored activities and programs if presented in a prudent and objective manner and as a traditional part of the cultural and religious heritage of the particular holiday." Gateways to Better Education publishes resources that help parents and educators in restoring the holidays to the public school classroom. To view information about the Holiday Restoration Campaign and these resources, click here. The National Association for Music Education publishes a brochure, "Music with a Sacred Text." To view this document, click here. For more legal information regarding the holidays, click here for The Alliance Defense Fund's "Christmas Project." © 2002, Gateways to Better Education Questions? If you have a question for Gateways to Better Education, we offer two options: If you have an urgent issue that needs an immediate response, we recommend that you call our Advisory Line at (949) 586-KIDS (5437), Send us an email containing your question.