By Eric Larson, Principal, HKIS.
While October 31, 2019 was a washout across Connecticut, that didn’t stop the students at the new Haddam Killingworth Intermediate School from celebrating Halloween. The fourth and fifth graders of HKIS painted pumpkins, made bats and spiders, colored Día de Muertos masks, and enjoyed some treats provided by the parents of the PTO.
The second half of the celebration continued the following Monday, when better weather allowed the school to participate in spooky games outside. Mr. Bergantino, one of the HKIS PE teachers, organized several activities to burn off some of that Halloween sugar. The children cheered each other on as they ran relays with jack-o-lanterns (orange balls), knocked over displays of monsters, and other games.
“The great thing about opening up a new school is that you get to create your own traditions,” said Eric Larson, the principal of HKIS. “This day is the result of the parents of HKIS and I sitting down and asking ourselves, ‘What is the best way to recognize this fun holiday for nine and ten year olds?’ We felt they were too old for costume parades, but too young to just ignore it. We are working hard to bring the community together and designed the activities to help solidify the new friendships that are growing and also connect with former classmates.
“From that standpoint, watching the kids cheer each other on outside, sit and color in small groups, and chat around the table with tasty treats, it certainly seemed successful. Let’s just hope for better weather next year!”
