Our Rams from Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade looked a bit different on Friday, October 30, as we celebrated Halloween at school. Students from all 14 grades were invited to don their costumes and enjoy the many treats, cackles, and surprises of the day. From a Lower School Halloween performance and parade to some spooky story readings in the Middle School and the Upper School Halloween assembly, the festivities were monstrously fun! Check out the photo galleries below of each celebratory event!
Lower School Performance
The Lower School Halloween performance, directed by Lower School Music Teacher Katy Nichols, is always spooktacular! This year, it had a pumpkin theme that tied in with the interdisciplinary Pumpkin Week.
Kicking things off, Junior and Senior Kindergarteners sang 5 Perfect Pumpkins and Spooky Down by the Bay, respectively. First grade created a sound story to the book Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White. They made jack-o’-lanterns in music class to go along with the story. One student, Rohan C. ’38, was inspired to make pumpkins for the entire class that were incorporated into the show. Ms. Nicole Liebman, Reading & Library Program Specialist, served as the narrator and dressed like Rebecca Estelle, the main character in the book.
Second grade performed Must Be Halloween, a song that they arranged. Sophie F. ’37 asked if they could play the ukuleles for the Halloween Sharing this year, so they came up with a song where they could accompany themselves while singing, quite a feat! They added spooky sound effects, an introduction, and a coda.
Third grade performed the Skeleton Dance on boomwhackers, and they even had skeleton dancers that surprised the audience during the second half of the piece. This had the melody of the Disney Skeleton Dance. All of the students learned the skeleton dance part. It was such fun dancing as a whole class to the piece!
Third- and fourth-grade choir sang Something by Sheldon Rose. It was the perfect spooky season piece, with students adding vocal sound effects and working on tone, blend, and singing in a minor key.
Fourth-grade students arranged Still D.R.E. for Halloween. Some fourth-grade boys wanted to beatbox for the program, so Dr. Nichols helped them come up with a piece that could serve as a backing track for beatboxing. Students played the actual melodic ostinati that was in the Still D.R.E. piece composed by Dre and Snoop Dogg, and the beatboxers came to practice after school. There were also several students who had worked on some cool Hip Hop Still D.R.E. signs that were turned around and had blacklight shine on them for the performance. At the close of the performance that was emceed by fourth graders who told jokes throughout the transitions, all of Beasley lined up for the annual Lower School Halloween parade.
Lower School Parade
After the performance, Beasley students filed out of the gym to parade around campus in their costumes. They were cheered on by Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff as they wound their way through the Shoenberg Building, past the Beasley playground lined by Middle Schoolers, and through Olson Hall where they received treats from administrative staff and some cheers from Upper Schoolers. They received treats from the administrative staff and plenty of high fives to set their Halloween spirits high!
Head of School Chelle Wabrek Reads a Halloween Stories to First Graders
On October 13 and 28, our two first-grade classes were invited to the home of Chelle Wabrek, Head of School, to listen to Halloween stories like Room on the Broom. Students enjoyed the festive storytime in Mrs. Wabrek’s decked-out home, and she even made some delicious cookies to share with them outside.
Middle School Boo Who?!
For the third year in a row, Ms. Bethany Kavanaugh, Middle School Librarian, coordinated a fun ghost guessing game called “Boo Who?!” She partnered with Multimedia Specialist Paul Colletti to photograph teachers dressed as ghosts, each with a prop that gave students a clue about who they were. After trying to uncover which boo (or ghost) was who, the answers were revealed during the Middle School Meeting on October 30. Check out the ghost gallery below and see if you can guess the identity of each clever ghost!
Fifth Grade Halloween Party
Fifth-grade Rams enjoyed a Halloween party of their own on October 30. While in their costumes, they gathered in the Middle School Dining Hall to play games and enjoy treats galore!
Spooky Story Read-Aloud for 6th and 7th Grades
At the third annual Spooky Story Spectacular, Middle School faculty read aloud spooky stories to sixth and seventh graders in Freeman Theatre.
Upper School Halloween Assembly
The highly anticipated Upper School Halloween assembly was all sorts of fun, once again! Seniors paraded into the North Gym to showcase their costumes, STUCO facilitated a vote for the best senior costumer, and many cackled during the senior skits and games.
It was a Halloween Eve full of spooky fun to kick off the weekend ahead. Happy Halloween, Rams!