SILVER LAKE — Halloween parties and costume parades are being axed in most classrooms at Riverview School this year.

At first bite, one might assume it is because of the dark side of the holiday. But, in all seriousness, it all comes down to learning.

“The reason has to do with the test scores,” said Principal Joe Dawidziak.

The students are not being punished for not doing well. The district is just trying to make sure students are getting the most out of their school day, he said.

During a summer retreat, teachers analyzed test scores and created a plan to address deficient areas.

Part of that plan was to maximize instructional minutes and minimize distractions. To that end, the administration decreed that all activities during the school day should align with district goals created by the teachers and with state standards.

Everything from the number of bells that ring during the day and field trips to holiday parties and assemblies were looked at as possible distractions.

“Bells were going off all day long,” Dawidziak said. “We now have three bells to start the day and one at the end of the day.”

Classroom parties, such as Halloween celebrations, now require permission from the administration and it falls on the teachers to prove the party helps meet the established standards.

“Unless there can be justification ... the administration will no longer have an interest in compromising face-to-face instructional minutes for non-academic activities such as students wearing costumes and participating in Halloween parties at the school,” Dawidziak wrote in an explanation to the school community.

Seventh-graders recently provided an example of how costumes can be integrated into curriculum when they portrayed immigrants as part of their studies.

Meanwhile, a Halloween party for pre-kindergartners was approved because the teacher showed how it met the standards, Dawidziak said. Another teacher’s request was denied

A request for a fall festival was approved as it met social and community standards set for the lower grades.

Ten parents upset by the new rule met with Dawidziak individually. All but one, he said, agreed with the focus after their discussion. Several comments from parents have been posted on the school’s Web site that suggest kids need a break from the rigor of the day on occasion and that a compromise could have been reached that eliminates the parade but allows for the classroom parties.

Parent Dani Leptich quoted a line from “Mr. Holland’s Opus” in her comment, that reads, “You want these kids to know how to read and write, but you give them nothing to read or write about.

“If the goal is to rid our children of non-acedemics during the school day, let’s get rid of gym, art, band, music, (and) guidance,” Leptich wrote. “I am a firm believer in children expressing themselves in any way they seem able.”