Canadian school cancels Christmas, plans 'inclusive' spring concert instead

An Alberta elementary school has canceled its Christmas concert celebration, opting instead for a more inclusive "Spring Concert" in the New Year. Anne Martens, the principal of Pat Hardy Elementary School in Whitecourt, a town about two hours from the provincial capital of Edmonton, broke the news to students and parents.

“We work hard to find ways to ensure our events are as inclusive to as many students and families as possible,” said Martens, according to True North reporter Rachel Parker. The explanation said it wouldn’t be fair to all the students to have a Christmas concert because it is so time-consuming for those involved in the event and requires a considerable degree of commitment.

“As a result, students who are not participating are excluded from multiple music lessons and classroom practices for an extended period of time,” Martens continued in her statement, even going so far as observing that the Christmas season can be very stressful for students at school and at home.

"By removing the extra concert practices and performances at Christmas, we can significantly reduce changes to students' routines during this already busy month,” she wrote. School officials also said not only is the concert not sufficiently inclusive, but the music teacher is also too busy teaching a Grade 4 class and will not have time for the concert. However, the teacher should have time in the New Year to get back to teaching music.

The concert was not even billed as a Christmas Concert but a “Winter Concert,” but the staff assured students and parents that there will be a Spring Concert instead. “A Spring Concert allows us to host a special performance that includes all students,” the notice read. “There is far less going on in the springtime, which makes it easier for students to manage the additional practice time.”