Father-Daughter Dance/ Mother-Son Picnic

To the administration of Davis Elementary School, City School District of New Rochelle,

We, the undersigned members of the Davis Elementary School community, ask that you reconsider your decision to cancel the annual Father and Daughter Dance/ Mother and Son Picnic. These beloved events have been a cherished tradition for many years, and its cancellation has left many families disappointed and upset.

We strongly believe that the father and daughter dance/ Mother and Son Picnic provides a valuable opportunity for fathers and daughters, as well as mothers and sons, to bond and create lasting memories. These events promote family bonding, encourage positive male and female role models, teach social skills, support gender equality, and build a strong sense of community.

We understand that the decision to cancel the dance/picnic may have been made in response to concerns about gender inclusivity. While we appreciate the school's commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, we believe that canceling the father and daughter dance/ Mother and Son Picnic is not the solution. Being inclusive means adding something to make everyone feel welcome and included. In this case, however, an event that many families looked forward to was taken away, excluding many people instead of including anyone who was interested. We can all evolve and become more community-oriented by working together to find a solution, but unfortunately, the opportunity to do so was never given to the parents who were looking forward to these events. Instead of excluding and canceling our traditions, let's strive to be more inclusive and invite everyone who wants to share memories of family and community as a family and community. Let's grow and become better together. We urge the school to find ways to make the dance more inclusive. Our suggestion to the school administration is to consider making the dance or picnic more inclusive by allowing other family members or guardians to attend with their children. Another suggestion is to change the names of the event to "Father/Hero Daughter Dance," "Sweetheart Dance," or "Mother/Hero Son Picnic," However, we are open to all ideas that promote inclusivity and ensure that everyone feels welcome to participate in these events.

We ask that you listen to the voices of the Davis Elementary School community and bring back the father and daughter dance/Mother and Son Picnic. We believe that these events is an important part of our school's culture and tradition, and we hope that you will work with us to find a way to make it inclusive for all families.