Monday, February 10, 2025
A petition created by Baldwin High School graduate Subrina Singh is urging the Baldwin School District to recognize Diwali as an official school holiday.
Singh launched the petition live on Facebook ahead of the Board of Education’s community input meeting on Jan. 8. At press time, it had garnered more than 130 signatures.
At the community meeting, held before the board’s regular meeting that evening, residents voiced their thoughts on “the future of learning in Baldwin schools.” Attendees were asked to write down the topics and concerns they wanted to discuss, including Diwali.
Singh’s push for the holiday follows her October 2024 event, Let’s Learn About Diwali, at the Baldwin Public Library, which detailed the Hindu festival, which usually takes place in October or November and lasts up to five days.
Singh’s family moved to Baldwin when she was 6, and she is now a member of the Baldwin Middle School PTA. She has seen the area’s demographic shifts over the years, she said, and saw the meeting as an opportunity to advocate for the holiday.
Diwali is one of the most significant holidays in Hindu culture, and is celebrated by millions worldwide. It symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, and is marked by rituals, prayers and vibrant celebrations, including the lighting of diyas (small oil lamps), decorating homes, setting off fireworks and exchanging gifts.
Singh said that other parents — including those who don’t celebrate the holiday — have expressed their support for the cause by signing the petition.
“I just wanted to bring Diwali to the forefront,” she said. “It’s no surprise that the board had already received similar requests.”
Singh said she recognizes the challenges of adding a holiday to the school calendar. School districts typically have a set number of instructional days, and adding Diwali could require adjustments to the academic schedule.
“The development of the Baldwin School District calendar is a collaborative and extensive process led by a district committee,” Shari Camhi, Superintendent of Schools for Baldwin School District stated in an email. “The Baldwin School District’s Calendar Committee must take into account contractual obligations, the demographics of students, faculty, and staff, required number of days of instruction set by the New York State Education Department, as well as both state and federal holidays when making recommendations for the following school year’s schedule.
“This is done on a year-by-year basis with the most current information available,” Camhi continued. “The district instituted many years ago the formality of DROs — Days of Religious Observance. On a DRO, students cannot be penalized if they are absent due to religious reasons. A calendar of those dates is set every year.”
Last year, Lenox Elementary School incorporated Diwali into its Holidays Around the World program, in which students in kindergarten through fifth grade learned about global holiday traditions.
“That made me so happy,” Singh recalled of the inclusion of Diwali. “For Lenox to feature it as part of their event — informing and spreading knowledge to children — is the greatest form of acceptance in my book.”
At the conclusion of last week’s meeting, Singh said, she was approached by Camhi, who assured her that the district had heard her and other supporters.
“I’m really grateful for the leadership in Baldwin,” Singh said. “For a superintendent to attend a meeting and personally approach a parent or community member speaks volumes about our district’s commitment to community engagement.”
