Halloween is heavily regulated at all schools and neighborhoods in the district. Since COVID-19 raised many concerns about the students’ safety during the celebration, restrictions on the holiday have worsened. Teachers and students now have to find subtle ways of celebrating Halloween, while others find it easier to not participate in the holiday festivities.

Unlike the few people who don’t enjoy the school activities that Halloween has to offer, Leslie Laird, an English Ⅰ and Ⅱ teacher, looks forward to the festivities that have yet to come. 

“I plan to celebrate Halloween in class with costumes,” Laird said. “And encourage my Connect students to dress up as well.”

In contrast to Laird, another English teacher named Melissa Ament doesn’t make any effort to celebrate the holiday. And instead of a scary skeleton or a pointy witches hat, Ament leans towards the more neutral fall decorations.

“I don’t celebrate Halloween in my classes,” Ament said. “However, I do have a calendar that has pumpkins on it, and I [do] put up a pumpkin, with my last initial A on a bookshelf. I don’t consider that celebrating Halloween, but [more like] having a few Fall decorations in the room. I do not typically address Halloween with my students.”

While many teachers choose to either decorate their classrooms for Halloween or the season that Halloween lies on, students find more casual ways to celebrate. Tenth grader Anela Ngyuen finds more fun in decorating her face than touching up a classroom. 

“I’m probably going to do some fun makeup and show up to school,” Ngyuen said. “I’m also going to a Halloween party [this year] and do my friends’ [Halloween] makeup there.”

Like the student before them, the cheer team will add a tiny pop of color for the holidays. Even though most of their spirit will be geared towards the CyFalls football team, they’re planning to show a little bit of appreciation for Halloween.

“The game is called Scare the Panthers, and it’s on Halloween,” Alicia Royer, an instructor for the cheerleading team, said. “We will not be in costumes at the game, [we will be wearing] a Halloween themed bow [instead].”

There are many ways to commemorate the holiday without having to break any rules; teachers can adorn their classrooms with festive decorations, and students can express it through small changes in fashion choice. Though there might be some people who choose to celebrate the season that surrounds the holiday, the joy of Halloween will be sprinkled throughout the school once the calendar hits October.