Walking through the hallways of the Lower School in the final days of October, it is no secret that Halloween is coming, as students put their creativity to work with many pictures and decorations. Halloween is anticipated by all, but especially little kids who dream of the day they can dress up in their favorite costumes. Despite many COVID-19 restrictions placed on this school year as a whole, the Lower School still had a Halloween to remember.
School counselor and mother of PA children Mrs. Emily Semsch remarked, “My children have always looked forward to the celebrations PA holds at the end of October, whether celebrating the ladybug ball in Pre-K or saints in 2nd and 3rd grade.”
Kindergarten and first grade both had parties centered on a certain theme by grade level and celebrated Halloween in the classroom. One thing that the parties were missing this year was the help of Lower School parents. Typically, parents play a key role in organizing, planning, and putting on the classroom parties.
First-grade teacher Mrs. Robyn Steinbrueck said, “We really missed having the parents come to participate and see the kids, as there is something very special about including them.”
First graders had a party centered on their reading curriculum for the year, SuperKids. Students chose their favorite character from the series and dressed up as that character, and had an afternoon full of games, snacks, and crafts.
Steinbrueck reflected on the connection between learning and their class party when she commented, “This is special because the kids truly relate to the SuperKids. They become ‘friends’ with the characters, and this really helps bring the story to life.”
First-grade teacher Mrs. Sarah Millerbernd also added, “We were able to still have a fun day in school by participating in fun activities at our desk, versus stations as we have in the past. I love seeing how creative the children are and how excited they get!”
Kindergarteners also had a celebration to remember, as they got to dress up as their favorite nursery rhyme or fairy tale character. Some highlights from these costumes were Little Red Riding Hood, Humpty Dumpty, and Paul Bunyan.
One new event for the Lower School this year, in celebration of Halloween, was Trunk or Treat. This was an event put on by Upper School students in the National Honor Society at PA, where students Pre-K through 5th grade enjoyed walking around the parking lot, stopping at each decorated car to pick up a Halloween treat. PA was glad to be able to add this new event, and it is something that they hope to continue in the future, as it brought joy to both the Lower Schoolers attending the event and the Upper Schoolers who organized it.
Even with the current COVID circumstances, the Lower School still had a Halloween full of fun costumes and activities and kept the school tradition of Halloween celebrations continuing on.