Waterloo Catholic schools to parents: don't send in the clowns this Halloween

The Waterloo Region Catholic District School Board is suggesting parents don't dress theirchildren like clowns this Halloween due to the scary clown fad that has swept North America.

With dailycreepy clown sightings in communities across the continent, it has even forced large corporations such asMcDonalds to pull its clown mascotRonald McDonald out of the public eye to avoid being associated with the trend.

The same phenomenon has gripped with Waterloo Region, with the Waterloo Regional Police Service investigatinga number of creepy 'nuisance' clown sightings in the last month,callingthe prankstersa drain on its resources.

It's unclear how many schools are implementing the no-clown policy.

School community will decide

Catholic board spokesman John Shewchuk says while the board has sent its directive, it will be up to each individual principal to gauge where their school community stands on the clown issue.

"In some cases that will mean no change - you can be a clown if you want," Shewchuk said. "In other cases, principals are obviously sending home letters politely asking parents not to send their children to school dressed as clowns."

Shewchuk admits some will think the school is overreacting, while in other cases some will think the school is not doing enough.

Email to parents

CBC Newswas told of one Kitchener school that has decided to follow suit with the board's suggestion.

While the email said there were no reports of clown incidents at theschool,"it was asking parents to refrain from sending their children to school dressed as clowns on Halloween," according to a parent who got the email.

The email indicated that teachers in each grade division would be "informing children and parents on division expectations for October 31st."