ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- Two Escondido-area junior high schools' annual tradition of having its students dress in Civil War-era costumes for a "Confederate-Union Ball'' is being questioned by the parent of a black child, 10News reported.

Kym Atkins said the "historical context of a ball that celebrates the Confederates'' upsets her, and notes that her child would have not been allowed to participate in such an event in the time period that is being recreated.

The North County Times reports that school officials said the ball is just one component of a month-long academic study of the Civil War for eighth graders at Bear Valley and Rincon middle schools.

Bear Valley's principal, Julie Rich, told the newspaper that the activity is for the pupils to "understand what daily life was all about... They study the clothing, the food, dance and all the things that were going on culturally.''

She said the curriculum includes children dressed in lacy dresses or Confederate or Union uniforms dancing the waltz and Virginia Reel, and learning 1860s-era manners and customs.

That's not acceptable to Atkins, who told the North County Times that "my child is black. If they are recreating history, my child would not be allowed to go to something like this.''