Taking place each year on Oct. 31, Halloween is celebrated by all students and faculty. In Catholic tradition, Halloween recognizes the day before ‘All Saints Day’, which honors the lives of the saints.
This celebration took place during advisory on the Pine Octavia Campus from 8:30 a.m. to 9:10 a.m. In the typical schedule, this time is a Resource block, where students can choose to meet with teachers and work on homework according to Maddy Aldecoa.
“I had a lot of fun at this event during advisory,” Aldecoa said. “I think it’s really special how our school organizes these fun activities for us to celebrate on days like Halloween,”
Students first met briefly with their advisors and then gathered in the courtyard to participate in Halloween activities, such as receiving candy from faculty stationed in classrooms or entering a costume contest. To conclude the celebration, Wellness Counselor and Academic Coach Roberto Parris led a dance to accompany the song “Thriller” by Michel Jackson, according to junior Adania Cooper.
“The Pine Octavia campus was perfect for this celebration because it was a space where I could see and talk to everyone all in the same place,” Cooper said. “Because we were outside, the courtyard didn’t feel crowded even though the whole school was there,”
As a school tradition, teachers and faculty dress up with a group theme each year. The teacher theme this year was wild west and country attire. Last year, the faculty dressed up as Barbie and Ken characters from the newly released “Barbie” movie in 2023, according to junior Claire Li.
“I love seeing the costume theme every year for the teachers and faculty,” Li said. “Their costumes add so much energy and fun to the school day,”
In addition to these festive events at school, many students celebrate Halloween in the evening by trick or treating or hanging out with friends. Some popular locations for trick or treating include Washington Street, Lake Street or the Presidio, according to Aldecoa.
“I had so much fun hanging out with my friends on Halloween this year,” Aldecoa said. “I love how the faculty make Halloween such a fun holiday at school.”
