New York Teacher Tells Kids There Is No Santa Claus

Published December 03, 2011
| New York Post

Santa Claus waves during the 91st annual city Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Daley Plaza in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 26, 2004.(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
A teacher ruined Christmas for a class full of second-graders when she told them that there is no Santa Claus during a lesson about the North Pole at their Rockland County, N.Y., school.

The educator even told the youngsters, mostly 7 and 8-year-olds, that the presents under their trees were put out by their parents, and not St. Nick.

The stunning behavior caused a blizzard of outrage at the quiet George W. Miller Elementary School in Nanuet, where angry parents would like to see the teacher roasted like a chestnut over an open fire.

"If that happened to my daughter in her second-grade class ... I'd be very upset," according to 48-year-old Sean Flanagan, whose child was in second grade at the school last year. "If her brothers told her [there was no Santa], they would be punished. So I can't imagine what should happen to the teacher."

A nanny picking up a child at the school said that anyone who tells kids that Santa does not exist should get coal in their stocking.

"It's outrageous that a teacher would strip a child of their innocence and try and demystify something," 59-year-old Margaret Fernandez said.

A grandmother of a kindergartener added, "I think this is awful. If it happened to my granddaughter, I'd tell her [that] her teacher made a mistake, and there is a Santa."

The unidentified teacher reportedly made her anti-Santa comments Tuesday during a geography lesson, when students told her that they knew where the North Pole was because that is where Santa lives.

School officials would not discuss the Christmas incident or say if the teacher would face any discipline.

District Superintendent Mark McNeill released a brief statement, saying only, "This matter is being addressed internally."



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/03/new-york-teacher-tells-kids-there-is-no-santa-claus/#ixzz1fZrsAfV9

My first Christmas I can remember with any clarity was when I was 7 years old and I knew there was no Sannyclaws. Some teachers are a-holes and that's part of the system, but I personally see no benefit whatever in having kids believe in such fables. Let's face it; "x-mas" is a marketing plan now and has littke to do with Jesus of Nazareth. My extended family would put a good toy in our Parish Family Christmas collection box and Grandma would give it to one of her etaff's family. I strongly advocate THAT. I'm glad you reminded me of something I need to do the next time at the store.

I recently saw an ad for one of those charities for children and part of it was a film of rwo little African kids wrestling over something. A close-up showed it was a match-box with a string attached to it. That was their only toy, and goddamit, I hate to admit it, but I started crying.

I loved believing in Santa and was crushed when I found out the truth, the suspense and mystery surrounding Christmas will always be a precious memory to me.

That New York teacher should be fired!

That is sad moon, its pitiful some kids family's are so poor they can't get them anything nice.

When I was in elementary school I still believed in Santa Claus but I was starting to doubt it. I think it was about 1st grade. Some of the kids teased me for believing in Santa. Other kids believed in Santa too. It was a mix of believers and nonbelievers. So when I went home from school that day I asked my Mom to tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? She hesitated for a moment and then sat down quietly next to me and began to explain. She said very softly, No, there is not. But we told you there was because its a special time for kids that only comes once in a lifetime and we wanted you to experience it. Its a tradition that many people share. She said your father and I are Santa. I wasn't really that surprised but was disappointed in that knowledge. I then began to wonder about the Easter Bunny and tooth fairy, I asked "are they real"? She said no they are not. I asked why did you lie about it? She said it was a white lie so you could experience the fantasy.

I am personally glad my parents made that decision to let me live that childhood fantasy, it was harmless and I have memory's of it now. I believe that when the time comes to tell your children the truth if they ask, you should be honest. And my parents were.

I went back to school the next day and admitted they were right.

There's no tooth fairy !?!?

Awww Tyler I loved your post !!!!!

should we lie to our children? of course not ,it is not a lie,it is a fairy tale,and we/they agree it is a fun thing..Is it wrong?