American holidays should also be stressed

The letter written by Darlene and Veena from the PTO at James Madison School was very insightful.

They certainly did not have to make a case for celebrating Diwali within Edison's public schools. How nice it is to have many volunteers to put on an educational program about the holiday. My letter stressed putting a similar importance on American holidays. Yes, JMI served juice and cake to the student body the week before Thanksgiving, but there was no explanation of why we should enjoy the freedoms given to us as citizens of America, or why Thanksgiving is an important American holiday. It does not have to be one without the other.

I was able to take off a day from work to talk about thankfulness and Thanksgiving, as well as serve the students in one of my children's class a vegan and nonvegan meal. We also discussed Veterans Day and being thankful [that] we have troops protecting our rights.

I was genuinely surprised about Veena's and Darlene's last paragraph suggesting that I need to become more involved within the Edison school community. They misrepresented my involvement. True, I have not been able to take part in PTO meetings this year, but both women know I have chaired events and was readily available to help the PTO through many avenues, from being a class mother to a human resources representative. My involvement and support within the school community has been strong for years.

I do not belittle what Darlene and Veena do for the children in Edison Township, and I expect the same courtesy. We are all caring, giving members of our community.

Beth Klee

Edison